COMPETITORS: Quarterly hack & race at Circuit Launch (w/ Brazilian BBQ) resumes!

SPECIAL NOTICE: COVID-19

After more than a year of virtual and outdoor events, we are now ready to resume in-person events indoors at Circuit Launch, which has been remodeled during quarantine and looks great. We are assuming that everyone over 16 attending will be fully vaccinated -- please do not attend if you are not. Regardless, in compliance with Alameda County policies we will require masks at all times and hand-sanitizers will be available at the door. We are also capping indoors attendance at 150 people. Please do not attend if you have traveled internationally in the previous 2 weeks, even if you're vaccinated.

The lunchtime guest speaker presentation will be from the Amazon AWS DeepRacer team, demoing the newly open-sourced code for DeepRacer and what you can do with it.

This time we've got a new outdoor event in addition to the usual indoors race:

Experimental Outdoors Track. Inspired by the Sparkfun Autonomous Vehicle Competition (RIP), this will be in the parking lot outside Circuit Launch. This first one will just be a track for you to use but no official judging; once we have some feedback on the track we'll make it official for future events. What's different about outdoors: 1) you can use GPS, 2) bigger track, for faster and bigger cars, 3) real-world lighting conditions to stress your computer vision more! Guidelines for that are here:
https://diyrobocars.com/2020/03/01/rules-and-guidelines-for-the-diy-robocars-outdoors-races/

THIS REGISTRATION IS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS COMPETING. If you want to attend as a spectator, register here: https://www.meetup.com/DIYRobocars/events/277508781/

Agenda:

• 10:00 am - 12:30pm: Training and testing

• 12:00 - 1:00 pm: Brazilian BBQ

• 1:00 - 2:00pm: Indoor Races!

• 3:00 - 5:00pm: Outdoor Races!

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There are two regular tracks, both with white outside lines and a yellow dashed center line, designed to model lanes on real roads. One is for racing, the other for training

https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/2/c/2/600_464861666.jpeg

We will also a smaller structured-walls track (six-inch high rubber strips on inside and outside of track) for cars with Lidar or some other ranging sensor

Rules are here:
https://diyrobocars.com/2019/07/22/official-oakland-race-rules-2019-edition/

If you want to train or practice at the track before the event, Circuit Launch is offering a day pass that gives you access at any time. Here are the details:

Circuit Launch Racetrack Day Pass - $19/day -Requires a 10 min in-person orientation prior to your first use.
Includes: racetrack use, day use open desk, Electronics Lab access, hand tools, WiFi and common area usage.Does not include: 3D printers, Laser cutter, or power tool use (Some hand tools and soldering is included). Monthly membership required for these services as well as safety class.

Email info@circuitlaunch.com to schedule an orientation M-F 9-6pm and then you can sign up for your first visit. Sorry no last minute drop-ins until your 2nd day pass purchase.

Other stuff that will be provided on the day of the event: Tables, chairs, power, wifi, coffee, food. And interesting fun.

Don't worry if you don't have anything to bring/hack on. You're welcome to just hang out and do the meetup thing. Or help others hack their things. This is that brief moment where we can all be n00bs. Someday our cars are supposed to be perfectly safe and autonomous. But for now, let's hack and crash while we still can.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!