Eight teams from six universities nationwide will compete in the final round of the self-driving vehicle contest — Digital Race 2017 – 2018 next Thursday in Ha Noi.

During the final round, the teams will have to use knowledge in the fields of programming, image processing and artificial intelligence to make vehicles move at the highest speed on complex terrain; identify and avoid obstacles; and identify and follow the direction of traffic signs.

The first prize winner will receive a total of VND450 million (US$19,000), including a one-week trip to Japan. The winners will also get a chance to work for FPT Software.

The competition took place from October last year to May this year.

The contest attracted more than 200 teams from 30 universities nationwide, increasing from 145 teams from 26 universities last year.

Automobiles would be one sector undergoing the biggest changes in the fourth industrial revolution, Le Hong Viet, FPT chief technology officer, said at a meeting on Friday.

Regarding that trend, FPT had invested in self-driving technology and set goals to become one of the world’s leading companies in software technology for automobiles, he said.

Currently, FPT is implementing a number of projects related to self-driving technology in particular and automotives in general for about 40 major customers around the world.

Not only pioneering in research and development of technology for automobiles, FPT also pushes the research, creative activities and experience of the latest technology in the field for the young people in Viet Nam through the Digital Race competition.

FPT expects that with the competition and similar events there will be more advanced products in the world developed from Vietnamese wisdom. — VNS