The Kettering University AutoDrive team, Bulldog Bolt, is ready to wrap up its second year of the AutoDrive II Challenge.

The team and its Chevy Bolt EV will compete June 4-10 at MCity in Ann Arbor. The four-year competition, sponsored by SAE International and General Motors, tasks 10 teams with developing and demonstrating a completely autonomous-driving passenger vehicle. Each year, the competition builds on the next by adding more challenges.

“As we approach the next competition next week, I think the team has done a great job dedicating a number of hours to various deliverables and is taking the team in the right direction of what is next in AutoDrive for years to come,” said team project manager Hemanth Tadepalli (’23, CS).

Though it’s the second year of the competition, it’s the first year teams are working with an actual car. During the challenge's first year, the team outfitted a large metal cart with sensors to collect data. The team placed second in the Dynamic Obstacle Challenge, and faculty advisor Dr. Diane Peters received the inaugural Advisor of the Year award.

“The competition is important because it gives our students a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow both technically and in their leadership and professional skills,” Peters said. “Also in the competition events, they get to interact with other teams, network and learn from them.”

Though the team lost many students to graduation since last year, Peters is still confident the team will do well.

“The students have been working hard, and I know they’ll do their absolute best in a very tough competition,” she said.