Anki Drive reveals ‘secret’ about the track technology which guides its AI-controlled cars

As toys and games become more sophisticated, it might surprise people at how some things work. Take Anki Drive, for example, which uses robotics and artificial intelligence to guide cars around a flat race track. Most racing games have a fixed track with barriers to help maneuver vehicles around and around. However, Anki Drive has no such thing — in fact, the technology rests within the track itself.

Company CEO Boris Sofman penned a post today to share insights into what goes on beneath the track to make racing vehicles so dynamic. In fact, he says that although human eyes can see a layer that outlines the track, the cars contain an infrared light and camera on its undercarriage that scans the track — almost like looking at the Matrix. When it passes over a specific point, it receives information to help it understand their position and to navigate like an expert driver.

Sofman says data from the track is analyzed approximately 500 times per second.

➤ Secret Sauce Revealed: What’s Beneath the Track? (Anki)