In 2018, during the AWS re:Invent event, Andy Jassy surprised the tech world with the presentation of the AWS DeepRacer, an innovative autonomous car at a 1/18 scale. This vehicle, powered by reinforcement learning, quickly captured the attention of both AI experts and novice machine learning enthusiasts. Among those captivated by this novelty was Matt Camp, an engineer who at the time was looking to make his way in the world of cloud technology, moving away from traditional networking.
The DeepRacer not only stood out for its futuristic design. Its creation led to the establishment of the AWS DeepRacer League, a series of competitions that would take place at events around the world, involving both physical leagues and a virtual version. At the 2018 event, participants were able to compete with pre-trained car models. It was in this competition that Matt Camp and his team stood out, achieving an impressive second place in the overall standings and subsequently taking the championship title thanks to an unexpected twist during the event.
The DeepRacer fever did not stop there. In 2019, London became an epicenter of this passion, driven by Matt Camp, who organized several events, including the memorable “A Night with DeepRacer.” During the AWS Summit in London that same year, Matt Camp amazed the audience by setting a record lap time of 8.9 seconds, once again securing the championship title.
Despite the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, which moved the competition to virtual environments, the enthusiasm for DeepRacer remained unbreakable. In 2022, the return of physical events offered Matt Camp the opportunity to break new records in London, although he did not achieve first place in that year’s finals.
But the impact of AWS DeepRacer went beyond the trophies. For Matt Camp, it meant a transformative change in his professional life. Through this experience, he developed advanced skills in AI and ML, as well as expanding his network of contacts in the tech industry. These achievements were essential for his contribution to Unitary, a cutting-edge startup in online content moderation, where Matt has been involved in the development of a platform capable of processing billions of video frames daily.
With the upcoming closure of the official AWS DeepRacer league, Matt Camp continues to show palpable optimism about the future of the community he helped shape. He encourages all those interested in learning about AI and ML to explore the available resources and join the vibrant DeepRacer community, where collaboration and joint learning take center stage.
Currently, Matt Camp remains a central figure in the DeepRacer community and continues his foray into open-source projects, constantly seeking new ways to apply his passion for AI and ML for the common good.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish