Yesterday, on June 11, 2023, the vehicle that is the protagonist of the new 1000 MAD (1000 Miglia Autonomous Drive) project, launched by the Politecnico di Milano, was unveiled. This project represents the world's first experimentation of autonomous vehicles on public roads with a wide variety of routes and contexts. This extraordinary project, developed through the collaboration of different research groups and departments at the Politecnico di Milano, initiated by the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, covers a distance of over 1500 kilometers and extends over a period of more than 12 months.

The MC20 Cielo, provided by Maserati, has been equipped by the Politecnico di Milano with all the technological components of a "robo-driver." These include actuation systems, sensors, computers, communication systems, and a sophisticated software that implements AI-driver algorithms.

During the period from June 13 to 17, 2023, the Maserati MC20 Cielo will complete the entire route of the 1000 Miglia in manual driving mode but will have the opportunity to test the "autonomous driving" mode on selected sections of the route. Under Ministerial Decree 70/2018, the vehicle will operate autonomously on authorized infrastructures while complying with the italian law, as required by the historic stage race that takes place alongside regular traffic.

After the conclusion of the 2023 edition of the "most beautiful race in the world," a year dedicated to the experimental development and refinement of AI-driver technology will begin. During this period, the vehicle will be trained on a route similar to that of the 1000 Miglia, including urban, suburban, and highway roads. The ultimate goal is to complete the entire route of the "1000 Miglia 2024" in autonomous driving mode.

The project involves the collaboration of 1000 Miglia srl, with the support and endorsement of MOST - Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile, and numerous high-level sponsors (main sponsors: Movyon and Cisco; technical supporting suppliers: Continental Engineering Services, OxTS, Hexagon | Novatel, Concurrent, VI-grade, Robosense, and ASCARI).