Car Racing Line Optimization with Genetic Algorithm using Approximate Homeomorphism

Abstract

In every timed car race, the goal is to drive through the racing track as fast as possible. The total time depends on selection of the racing line. Following a better racing line often decides who wins. In this paper, we solve the optimal racing line problem using a genetic algorithm. We propose a novel racing line encoding based on a homeomorphic transformation called Matryoshka mapping. We evaluate the fitness of racing lines by lap time estimation using a vehicle model suitable for F1/10 autonomous racing competition. By comparing to the former state-of-the-art, we show that our method is able to find racing lines with lower lap times. Specifically, on one of the testing tracks, we achieve 2.5% improvement.