Hankook Tire Sponsors Korea's Only Autonomous Driving Robot Race Competition

Sponsorship of Racing Tire 'Ventus Z205'

Hankook Tire & Technology will sponsor the ‘2023 Autonomous Driving Robot Race’ organized by the Korean Robotics Society, starting from the 31st.

This competition is the only autonomous vehicle simultaneous start racing event in Korea, where autonomous vehicles race without any driver operation or remote control, responding to various variables such as lane changes, overtaking, and vehicle contact just like in real races.

This year, 15 teams from 11 domestic universities, including graduate and undergraduate students from Seoul National University and Yonsei University, will participate. The first race will be held on March 31 at Chungbuk National University’s Ochang Campus in Cheongju, Chungbuk, followed by two more races in July and November. The overall season champion will be determined by combining the results of each race.

[Photo by Hankook Tire & Technology]

Hankook Tire has been sponsoring the autonomous driving robot race since 2019. All vehicles participating in the competition are provided with the Ventus Z205 racing tires.

Using data collected from the competition, Hankook Tire plans to develop and supply dedicated airless tires for the current 30 km/h vehicles in operation as well as for a new model with a top speed of 100 km/h, which is being jointly developed with the Department of Mechanical System Design Engineering at Hongik University and is scheduled for introduction in 2024.

Unlike conventional tires, airless tires do not contain air inside, reducing the likelihood of tire punctures, wear, and damage, and eliminating the need for maintaining proper air pressure.