The current autonomous vehicle competitions are dominated by a few leading research institutions and universities. Since the leading research groups have been able to accumulate their knowledge and to develop their own algorithms for autonomous vehicle for many years, the technology gap seems too big for other followers to catch up with. On the other hand, recent researches predict that there would be a sharp rise in demand for engineers with background in autonomous vehicle technology. Therefore, it would be warranted to further expand the base of the academia and autonomous vehicle industry. In an effort to achieve this goal, it would be beneficial to hold a new format of autonomous vehicle competition event where undergraduate students can play a leading role. So, this study is to analyze the current autonomous vehicle competitions and thus to establish a strategic plan to develop a unique and improved competition event. This study investigates the pros and cons of the domestic and international autonomous vehicle competitions. Based on the analysis for the current autonomous vehicle competitions, the authors suggest a strategic plan to initiate an autonomous vehicle competition. To implement the aforementioned strategic plan, it is necessary to develop a systematic environment where the education and communication are actively available. Through the strategic plan the authors propose, the newly launching autonomous vehicle competition will able to encourage the undergraduate students and professors to dive in the cutting-edge technology thereby increasing technology competitiveness.
