The iAuto team, comprising Taiwan’s elite members in the technology industry, with the participation of Professor Kang Li from NTU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, excelled in the 2023 Dubai World Challenge for Self-driving Transport, winning third place. During the competition, the iAuto team successfully navigated various complex road conditions and traffic scenarios, including avoiding pedestrians, passing other vehicles, and driving at a speed of 60 km/h. Remarkably, the iAuto team obtained a flawless score for their autonomous bus software design in the competition. This achievement profoundly impressed participants from various countries and enhanced Taiwan’s visibility on the international stage.
Additionally, in April 2024, a delegation from the Czech new energy automobile industry visited the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NTU to initiate new overseas collaboration initiatives. The delegation was accompanied by Marie Leflerova, Head of the Science & Technology Section of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei. Members came from Škoda Auto, Entry Engineering, Czech Battery Cluster, Technical University of Liberec, and NTU’s partner universities: Brno University of Technology and Prague University of Economics and Business. Both parties discussed potential collaborations in the fields of new energy and autonomous vehicle technologies. Professors Kuei-Yuan Chan and Kang Li respectively presented the research highlights of the Advanced Power Research and Development Center and the Unmanned Vehicles Research and Development Center of NTU, further expanding cooperation opportunities for academic research and student overseas internships.
NTUME-Advanced Power Research and Development Center
Unmanned Vehicles Research and Development Center, NTU
The Dubai World Challenge for Self-driving Transport
The video shows live footage of an iAuto self-driving bus on the road. The team first participated in the Dubai World Challenge for Self-driving Transport in 2018–2019, where they were the only team from East Asia to reach the finals. They secured second place and a prize of $500,000. The collaboration included a research team from NTU led by Professors Kang Li and Jung-Ho Cheng and a research team from Ming Chi University of Technology led by Associate Professor Dao-Yi Huang, as well as experts from iAuto Technology, Formosa Plastics Transport Corporation, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute.
Professor Kang Li, the chief adviser of iAuto (third from the right), with Taiwan’s elite engineers in the technology industry at the 2023 Dubai competition, winning third place.
The delegation of the Czech automobile industry in 2024 included representatives from the Czech Economic and Cultural Office, Škoda Auto, Entry Engineering, Czech Battery Cluster, Technical University of Liberec, and NTU’s partner universities: Brno University of Technology and Prague University of Economics and Business.
The delegation was jointly hosted by personnel from the Office of International Affairs (front row) and Professors Kang Li (second from the right in the back row) and Kuei-Yuan Chan (sixth from the right in the back row) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NTU.
Professor Kuei-Yuan Chan from the Department of Mechanical Engineering presenting NTU’s research highlights to the visiting delegation.