27.11.2025 IfI Colloquium: Learning to Handle Autonomous Vehicles at the Limits
Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Johannes Betz, TUM, Technical University Munich, Germany
Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025, 17:15
Location: room BIN 2.A.01 at the Department of Informatics (IfI), Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich
Details about the format of the talk shall be checked always just ahead of a certain presentation date: (information here)
Abstract
This talk presents methods for developing autonomous driving systems that operate at the physical limits of vehicle dynamics. The focus lies on the design of a complete software stack for high-speed, high-precision driving, including perception, planning, and control modules. Emphasis is placed on learning-based control strategies that enable robust decision-making under uncertainty and rapidly changing conditions. Case studies from autonomous racing competitions such as the Indy Autonomous Challenge and Abu Dhabi Racing League illustrate how these approaches push vehicles to their performance boundaries while ensuring safety and reliability.
Bio
Johannes studied automotive engineering at Coburg University of Applied Sciences (B. Eng., 2013) and at the University of Bayreuth (M. Sc., 2013) with a focus on electric drive systems and software development. From 2013 to 2018, Johannes was a research assistant at the Technical University of Munich where he received his Dr.-Ing. degree in 2019. He founded the TUM Autonomous Motorsport Team, which successfully participated in the autonomous racing series Roborace, Indy Autonomous Challenge and the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. From 2020 to 2022, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. In 2023, he was appointed as Rudolf Mößbauer Professor at the Technical University of Munich, where he holds the Autonomous Vehicle Systems Professorship as part of the Department of Mobility Systems.