Turing Track | Autonomous Car Racing Competition

Turing Track is an autonomous car racing competition organised by the HAM ARC Club, NIT Warangal, as part of Technozion 2026. Inspired by the F1TENTH and RoboRacer formats, participants will design, build, and program a small-scale autonomous car to race on a closed circuit without human intervention. The competition focuses on robotics, perception, planning, control, autonomous systems, and motorsport engineering.

Open to race car geeks, robotics enthusiasts, and engineering students of all experience levels :)

NOTE: Refer the document attached below for complete race guidlines.

Competition Format:

• Stage 1 - Qualifying Time Trial:
• Each team gets 3 solo timed attempts.
• Each attempt consists of one timed lap from a standing start, with a maximum duration of 90 seconds.
• The fastest completed lap counts, with applicable penalties added to the lap time.
• Teams receive a 5-minute reset period between attempts for battery swaps, software restarts, and parameter adjustments.
• The top 25% of teams qualify for the finals.
• Stage 2 - Head-to-Head Finals:
• Qualified teams compete through an elimination bracket consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final.
• Two cars race simultaneously in each heat.
• Each heat consists of 3 laps with a maximum duration of 2 minutes.
• The first car to complete 3 laps without disqualification wins.
• Unsafe or repeated collisions may result in reseeding or a solo run.

Track Details:

• Track length: 40 m.
• Track width: 1.5 m.
• Flat, non-slip surface.
• 20 cm high boundary walls with deliberate gaps.
• Includes straights, wide turns, and at least one tight chicane.
• No tunnels.
• Includes sensing challenges such as spaced walls and phantom LiDAR returns to test autonomous perception and navigation.

Race Rules:

• Cars must start from a complete stop when the red light changes to green or the starting flag is given.
• A team member may press the physical start button on the car at the start signal.
• No other manual input is permitted during the race.
• A false start results in a 5-second penalty. A second false start during the same attempt results in a DNF.
• The run ends at the chequered flag or light, with timing conducted by marshals.
• Cars must count their own laps.
• Teams may only activate the E-Stop during a timed run.
• Marshals may reposition an off-track or stuck car, subject to a penalty.
• Each team will receive an official on-site practice window.
• Pre-mapping is permitted, but final tuning must be completed during official practice.

Vehicle Specifications:

• Maximum dimensions: 60 × 40 × 30 cm.
• Maximum weight: 5 kg, including the battery.
• Power source: LiPo/Li-ion only.
• No combustion engines.
• No fixed speed limit, provided the vehicle remains controllable.
• Permitted sensors: LiDAR, camera, IMU, wheel encoders/odometry.
• GPS/RTK, V2X, track-side beacons, and other similar technologies require prior approval.
• Any onboard computer may be used, including Jetson, Raspberry Pi, NUC, or custom boards.
• All processing must be performed onboard.
• Cloud/offboard computing and remote-control inputs are prohibited during timed runs.
• Permitted software approaches include ROS/ROS2, F1TENTH stacks, Pure Pursuit, MPC, Reinforcement Learning, Imitation Learning, or custom autonomous systems.

Scoring & Penalties:

• Qualifying rankings are based on the fastest completed lap out of 3 attempts, after applicable penalties.
• Teams that do not complete a run are ranked below all finishers based on distance travelled.
• Touching a wall or obstacle below 5 cm: No penalty.
• Crossing the boundary line: +5 seconds.
• Crashing into a wall or obstacle by 5 cm or more: +10 seconds.
• False start: +5 seconds.
• Marshal repositioning: +15 seconds.
• 3 or more incidents in one run: DNF.
• Unsafe behaviour or rule violation: Disqualification.

Safety Requirements:

• Every vehicle must have a functional physical or wireless E-Stop capable of immediately cutting power to the drive motors.
• The E-Stop will be checked during technical inspection.
• Vehicles without a working E-Stop will not be allowed to compete.
• Batteries must be securely mounted and stored or transported in fire-safe bags.
• Spectators and personnel are not allowed inside the track during timed runs.
• Organisers and marshals may stop any run considered unsafe.
• Unsafe or reckless behaviour may result in disqualification.

Eligibility & Team Details:

• Team Size: 2–4 members.
• Open to students from all institutes and degree programmes.
• Cross-college teams are allowed.
• Beginners are welcome.
• Prior experience with ROS2 or F1TENTH-style stacks is helpful but not mandatory.

Accommodations:

Accommodations and food for all participants will be provided. Travel charges will not be covered.

Prizes & Recognition:

• 1st Place: ₹10,000.
• 2nd Place: ₹8,000.
• 3rd Place: ₹5,000.
• Fastest Qualifying Lap: Certificate and goodies.
• Best Design / Most Innovative Approach: Certificate and goodies.

Important Dates:

• Registration Opens: 9 October 2026.
• Registration Closes: 26 October 2026.
• Technical Inspection & Practice: 30 October 2026.
• Qualifying & Finals: 30–31 October 2026.
• Venue: National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, India – 506004.

Contact:

• Akhil Hasan.
• Email: hasanakhilk@gmail.com.
• Phone: 8714066807

Guidelines [PLEASE NOTE]:

- Participants are advised to refer to the attached document for the complete competition guidelines.