Events

Workshops, Races, and Autonomous Robotics

Join us for an intensive hands-on workshop where you'll build, program, and race autonomous vehicles from scratch. Learn AI, computer vision, and robotics in a collaborative environment designed for makers of all skill levels.

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Next 3-Day Workshop

Workshop Mentality

Our workshops aren't lectures—they're hands-on building experiences. You'll work with real hardware, write actual code, and deploy AI models to physical robots. We believe the best way to learn is by doing, with expert guidance every step of the way.

🔧 Hands-On First

Forget passive learning. You'll assemble hardware, wire sensors, flash firmware, and deploy code to real autonomous systems from day one.

🧠 Learn by Building

Theory meets practice immediately. Understand computer vision by processing camera feeds. Learn AI by training models that actually drive your robot.

👥 Collaborative Environment

Work alongside fellow builders, share insights, debug together, and learn from each other's approaches. The best solutions come from collaboration.

🚀 Real-World Projects

Build something you can take home and continue developing. Your autonomous racer isn't a classroom exercise—it's a platform for ongoing learning and experimentation.

🎓 Expert Mentorship

Learn from engineers who've built production autonomous systems. Get direct access to mentors who've solved the problems you're tackling.

⚡ Progressive Complexity

Start with fundamentals and build up to advanced concepts. Each day adds new capabilities to your robot as your understanding deepens.

3-Day Workshop Breakdown

Each day builds on the previous, taking you from hardware assembly through AI training to autonomous racing. Lunch provided daily. All materials included.

1

Foundation & Assembly

Build Your Autonomous Platform

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Intro Lab: Hardware Assembly
Start from zero. Unbox your RC car kit and transform it into an autonomous platform. Install NVIDIA Jetson compute module, mount cameras, connect motor controllers (VESC), and wire power systems. Learn the anatomy of an autonomous vehicle and why each component matters.
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Software Setup & First Boot
Flash your Jetson with the operating system, install ROS2, configure your development environment, and establish SSH access. Test basic motor control and verify all sensors are communicating. Your robot comes alive for the first time.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
🍕 Lunch Break
Fuel up and discuss your build with fellow participants and mentors.
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Vision Lab: Camera Integration
Dive into computer vision. Connect Intel RealSense depth cameras and standard RGB cameras. Learn image processing fundamentals, calibrate your cameras, and write your first vision pipeline. See what your robot sees in real-time.
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Track Time: Manual Control
Take your robot to the track for the first time. Use manual control to understand how it handles, collect baseline data, and get familiar with the racing environment. This data will train your AI tomorrow.
2

AI Training & Simulation

Teach Your Robot to Think

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Motor Lab: Control Systems Deep Dive
Master motor control with VESC motor controllers. Implement PID control loops, tune acceleration curves, set safety limits, and understand how throttle and steering commands translate to physical movement. Make your robot responsive and predictable.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Omniverse Lab: Digital Twin Creation
Enter NVIDIA Omniverse and IsaacSim. Create a digital twin of your robot and the race track. Understand sim-to-real transfer—why training in simulation accelerates real-world learning. Set up your virtual training environment that mirrors physical reality.
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
🍕 Lunch & Learn
Technical talk: "Weapons of Mass Compute" - How GPU computing powers modern AI and autonomous systems.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
AI Training: Reinforcement Learning
Train your robot's brain. Use reinforcement learning to teach autonomous navigation. Your robot learns by trial and error in simulation—crashing thousands of times virtually so it doesn't crash once in reality. Watch it improve lap after lap.
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Model Deployment & Testing
Deploy your trained AI model to the physical robot. Test autonomous navigation in controlled environments, debug perception issues, and fine-tune parameters. Bridge the gap between simulation and reality.
3

Autonomous Racing

Put Everything Together

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Advanced Features Workshop
Add LiDAR for 3D environment mapping. Implement sensor fusion combining camera and LiDAR data. Build obstacle avoidance systems and explore advanced path planning algorithms. Make your robot smarter.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Practice Runs & Optimization
Open track time for testing and tuning. Optimize your AI's performance, adjust control parameters, and push your robot to its limits. Mentors available for one-on-one debugging and guidance.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
🍕 Final Lunch
Pre-race preparation and strategy discussion.
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
🏁 The GOAT Race
The main event. Your robot races fully autonomously against other participants. No human input—pure AI navigation. Fastest lap times win. Watch as your three days of work compete on the track. This is where it all comes together.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Showcase & Demo Session
Open demonstrations of advanced autonomous features. Show off custom implementations, share lessons learned, and celebrate achievements. See what others built and built connections for future collaboration.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wrap-up & What's Next
Review what you've built, get resources for continued learning, join the GOAT Club community, and learn about upcoming events. Your journey in autonomous robotics is just beginning.

Private Workshops Available

Looking to train your team, university group, or corporate R&D department? We offer customized private workshops tailored to your specific goals and skill levels. Whether you're exploring autonomous systems for business applications or building technical capacity in your organization, we'll design a workshop that meets your needs.

Private workshops include dedicated mentorship, custom curriculum, on-site or remote delivery options, and flexible scheduling. Hardware kits can be provided or we can work with your existing platforms.

Inquire About Private Workshops

Why People Love GOAT Workshops

Hear from past participants who built autonomous robots from scratch

I came in with zero robotics experience and left with a fully functional autonomous race car. The hands-on approach and expert mentorship made all the difference. This wasn't just a workshop—it was a transformation.

Alex Chen

Software Engineer

The digital twin concept blew my mind. Training in simulation and then deploying to the real robot—watching sim-to-real transfer actually work was incredible. Best learning experience of my career.

Sarah Martinez

ML Researcher

Watching my robot navigate the track autonomously for the first time was pure magic. Three days earlier it was parts in a box. The progression from assembly to AI is brilliantly structured.

Emily Wong

Mechanical Engineer

See more testimonials & event photos →

Stay Informed

Interested in our next public workshop or want to discuss a private workshop for your team? Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch.

Past Events

Celebrating our journey in autonomous robotics through previous workshops and races

GOAT CONF 1

Initial Buildout

📅 July 20th, 2024

Overhead view of GOAT Racer track Rob presenting at GOAT Conf 1 Chuck at GOAT Conf 1

Our inaugural event with over 40 attendees focused on building the foundation. Participants assembled their first autonomous race cars, integrated VESC motor controllers, and created digital twins in NVIDIA Omniverse.

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GOAT CONF 1.5

Revenge of the GOAT Racer

📅 December 11-12, 2025

Multiple complete cars racing autonomously! This event featured advanced AI training, digital twin simulation with NVIDIA Omniverse, and competitive autonomous racing.

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