"Receiving the award came as a genuine surprise. I wasn't expecting it at all, which made it even more rewarding. I see it as a great way to conclude my studies and as confirmation that my work was worthwhile," says Michael Ceplý.
The system was developed and tested in a virtual simulator, where the racing car autonomously navigates a track marked by colored cones. It uses a combination of LiDAR and cameras to perceive its surroundings, create a map of the environment, and calculate the optimal speed for cornering. During the simulation, the vehicle successfully completed the entire course without hitting a single cone.

"Michael worked very independently and approached the project in a fast and systematic manner. The result is an excellent thesis that demonstrates his analytical thinking as well as the knowledge and skills that enabled him to successfully complete the project," says the thesis supervisor, Prof. Jan Platoš.
The thesis combines computer vision, sensor data processing, environmental mapping, and decision-making algorithms. These technologies are also fundamental to the development of autonomous vehicles, which have the potential to improve road safety and reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by human error.

Michael Ceplý will continue working in this field after graduation.

"After graduation, I will join Valeo as a Systems Engineer, where I will work on the development and implementation of autonomous driving systems for production vehicles."