Valeo Innovation Challenge winners

Valeo has announced the results of its international innovation contest. For the second year running, Valeo invited students from around the world to play an active role in automobile innovation by designing the product or system that will create smarter, more intuitive cars by 2030.

With participation up 40 per cent on last year, 1,324 teams from 89 countries signed up for a chance to invent and develop bold, revolutionary solutions for the automobile of 2030.

Valeo experts examined a vast number of projects, primarily in the field of driving assistance systems, autonomous driving and safety. The engineering students harnessed all of the opportunities offered by digital technology and adapted them to the automotive sector to improve safety on board as vehicles become increasingly autonomous.

The three winning teams were selected by a jury chaired by Valeo chief executive officer Jacques Aschenbroich and made up of eminent figures from the world of science as well as members of the Valeo group.

First prize went to the Chinese team “Falcon View” from Peking University. They came up with a new way for autonomous cars to detect their surroundings. Instead of using lasers, the team built a cheaper wheel-based system, using a camera.

Two teams tied for second place: the German team “Auto Gen Z”, from Saarland University developed a connected system, reinforcing traffic safety. This alternative system effectively combines the three mirrors in a car into a single wide screen display. The Indian team “M.A.D”, from Sri Aurobindo International Center of Education in Pondicherry, also created a connected system reinforcing traffic safety. Based on satellite navigation, this advanced collision warning system alerts drivers, in real time, from potentially dangerous conditions.

The winning team was awarded a cash prize of €100,000, while the second teams took home €10,000 each.

At the end of the ceremony, Valeo kicked off the third annual Innovation Challenge, which will serve to recognize not only technological innovation, but also ideas for using cars in new ways. A cash prize of €100,000 will be awarded to the winner of each category. Students across all disciplines can sign up now on the contest’s dedicated website.