For the first time in the 1000 Miglia 2023 event. The event that embodies the history of world motoring, there is an autonomous car. This is a symbol of the future.
The project “1000-MAD” (1000 Miles Autonomous Drive) del Politecnico di Milano represents the world’s first trial of autonomous vehicles. These capable of running on public roads, with an extension route of more than 1500 km and with a time window of more than 12 months.
Mille Miglia 2023, the 1000-MAD project
1000-MAD is an initiative which aims to increase the technical skills of the Italian industry. Above all to contribute to the development of sustainable mobility. Thus to create awareness in the general public about this technology. The Milanese University project sees the support and collaboration of 1000 Miglia srl. The support and patronage of MOST – National Center for Sustainable Mobility, and numerous sponsors and technical partners.
There are several research groups and departments of the Politecnico di Milano. These involved, to deal with issues of technological development, project management (guided by the Connected Car & Mobility Observatory), and also design and communication in an integrated way.
In recent years, the Politecnico di Milano has worked intensely on the Artificial Intelligence front and autonomous driving techniques applied to racing cars, and now, in view of a possible legislation on the circulation of autonomous cars on public roads, the “1000-MAD” project is a candidate as the first experiment in the world of autonomous vehicles in contexts public, characterized by a very high variety of courses, iterated over several experimental rounds.
Mille Miglia 2023, the car is a Maserati MC20 Cielo
The car used for the trials is the brand new Maserati MC20 Cielo. The iconic and emotional super sports car that combines the best of modern technologies with the charm of Maserati’s history (which has repeatedly been intertwined with the history of the 1000 Miglia).
Mille Miglia 2023, surprise: the self-driving Maserati MC20 Cielo will take part, press office source
On this car, made available by Maseratiil Politecnico di Milano has installed all the technological elements of a “robo-driver” (actuation systems, sensors, computers, communication systems, and all the software that implements the AI-driver algorithms), in order to put an Artificial Intelligence at the helm of the “Sky”.
The use of a Maserati as the vehicle basis of this project also intends to testify to the intense research collaboration that has existed for more than a decade between the Milan Polytechnic and Maserati engineering in the field of vehicle electronic control & automation systems.
The 1000 Miglia 2023, the iconic event
Dal 13 to 17 June, the Maserati MC20 Cielo will cross the entire track of the 1000 Miglia, tackling some sections of the route in “autonomous driving” mode, in which the request for authorization from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is being completed (in particular, the crossings of the cities of Bergamo and Brescia, Italian capital of culture 2023, Milan, Ferrara, Modena and Parma). In the sections that will be authorized by that date, the vehicle will drive in total autonomy, respecting the rules of the Highway Code, as required by the historical regularity race in stages which takes place in a promiscuous way to normal car traffic.
Mille Miglia 2023, the experimentation and the 1000 Miglia 2024.
Participation in the 1000 Miglia 2023 is only the first step in the “presentation” of the project. Once the 2023 edition of the “Most beautiful race in the world” has ended, a year of intense development and experimental refinement of the AI-driver technologyin which the car will be trained on a route similar to that of the 1000 Miglia on municipal, provincial and state roads, and partly also on motorway sections, with the final aim of carrying out the entire route of the “1000 Miles 2024”.
Mille Miglia 2023, an exceptional co-driver
To comply with the authorization requirements for experimentation (DM70 “smart-roads”), the vehicle driven by the AI-driver of the Milan Polytechnic it will have to be constantly supervised by a human co-driver. In the 2023 1000 Miglia the co-driver will be exceptional: Matthew Marzotto, expert driver and board member of 1000 Miglia srl, with numerous experiences of participation in the historic 1000 Miglia. He will remember so the 70th anniversary of the victory (1953 edition) of the uncle Giannino, in an ideal handover between past, present and future. This link between human driver and artificial intelligence will be visually represented by a modern art object, under development at the Design Department of the Polytechnic, which will be unveiled at the opening of the 1000 Miglia and which will accompany Matteo Marzotto throughout the journey.