UTS Tech Festival 2023 - AWS DeepRacer Challenge Workshop

Missed out on the workshop but still want to participate in the race?

If you missed out on Monday's workshop but would still like to participate, please register on the AWS DeepRacer Competition Registration Page. Upon checkout, you will be prompted with the question "Are you interested in competing or spectating?". Indicate that you would be interested in competing or both and the team will share further details about the race, including Monday's workshop recording. 

Please ensure that you follow the instructions above and register before 22 June 5pm.

If you would like to attend the DeepRacer to spectate, you are more than welcome to attend! Please ensure that you register as spots are limited. 

Team, start your engines!

Welcome to the AWS DeepRacer Challenge hosted by the UTS Tech Festival, an autonomous racing league driven by machine learning (ML). It’s time for staff and students across universities in NSW to race for prizes and glory, and a chance to advance to the AWS DeepRacer Championship.

Get behind your keyboard for an immersive experience with AWS DeepRacer, a 1/18th scale race car. AWS DeepRacer uses Reinforcement Learning (RL) which is an advanced ML technique that takes a very different approach to training models. All builders are welcome and no prior machine learning or development experience is required to participate.

Timeline

• 19 June – Presentation from Adam Chew and Vanessa Lay
• 19 June – 22 June 5pm – Registration opens
• 22 June – 27 June 3pm - Virtual Race opens
• 27 June 3pm – Race closes
• 28 June – Top 10 qualifiers notified and invited to attend the in-person race at UTS City Campus on 29 June from 10am+
• 29 June – In-person Race Day

Reasons to attend the workshop

• AWS will be hosting an AWS DeepRacer Workshop on 19 June 2023 from 3PM - 4:30PM . In this workshop, we will give you the training and guidance you need to successfully code, train, and deploy your own machine learning (ML) model for a real-world race car that navigates the race track under time-trial conditions.

• The session will first go through the basics of ML on AWS and how to use the AWS Console for AWS DeepRacer projects. This will cover the basic theory of AWS DeepRacer, how the car works, what data is exposed for developers to utilise in training their vehicles to self-drive, and some simple reward function theories that could be used as a base for your own model development.

• This session will be facilitated by 2 AWS Solutions Architect - Adam Chew and Vanessa Lay 

Learning objectives

• A working understanding of how ML works and how you could leverage it for your own projects
• Gain a working knowledge of the AWS Console, AWS DeepRacer, and AI/ML, and how to use AI/ML to solve real-world problems
• Create a fully autonomous race car model
• Uploaded your first model to the physical race on the 29th of June!

Learn more about AWS DeepRacer using the resources below

• Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCt-F2HscOU&feature=youtu.be
• Link: https://aws.amazon.com/deepracer/
• Register to attend, participate and/or view the in-person race: https://events.humanitix.com/u...

FAQs - Got questions? We've got answers.

Do I need machine learning experience to participate?
No experience is needed! We will teach you everything you need to know.

How much does this competition cost?
Free!

What is the time commitment for this competition?
You will be required to participate in the workshop session (1.5 hours) along with training your models in your own time which can range from 2 hours to 40 hours (up to you).

Is there an age requirement?
Yes - this competition is open for 18 years of age and above.

Where can I learn more about Deep Racer?
Visit the official AWS DeepRacer page: https://aws.amazon.com/deepracer/league/

Do I need to use my own AWS Account to train my models? 
No - we will provide you with accounts to train on for this competition.

What if I can't participate in the workshop?
We will send you a few pre-recorded resources for you to catch up! We love that you can attend this live virtual workshop so you can gather as much info as needed, however if you aren’t able to, we will be able to send the recorded session afterwards if you have registered.