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The student team representing the University of the North won this year’s Self Driving Challenge, organized by the RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority). The finale took place on 16 June, where ten student teams competed against each other with their own self-driving cars. They had to complete a course featuring obstacles such as traffic lights and crosswalks as quickly as possible, without errors. The winning team consisted of students from the University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and Noorderpoort.
If it were up to brands like Tesla or Mercedes-Benz, self-driving cars would be the new normal in the future. But is it really safe for a vehicle without a driver to circulate in regular traffic? To gain a better understanding of the challenges posed by autonomous vehicles, the RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority) is organizing the Self Driving Challenge. A team of students from the UG is taking part.
On April 2nd 2026, the Second National Congress on Autonomous Systems took place in Drachten. It brought together scientists, technology suppliers, businesses, and policy-makers to explore the potential of autonomous systems and how we can deploy them responsibly and effectively.