DARPA Grand Challenge starts tomorrow: drivers not required.

Gentlemen, start your autonomous engines! Tomorrow contestents whose robot-car entrants passed the DARPA Grand Challenge semifinals this week will test their mettle in a grueling 175 mile race through the Mojave desert starting and ending in Primm, Nevada. The bots have no more than 10 hours to make the trip—that's a slowest average speed of 17.5 miles to qualify as winner, that is, if they don't flip or crash or stall or become aflame within a few miles of taking off like they did last year. Participating this year in addition to the private firms are such prestigious institutions as CalTech, Cornell, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon (both teams), Princeton, and Virginia Tech, all duking it out for the two million dollar purse at stake; but perhaps more importantly, the mad bragging rights honor of being the first winnner of the competition. We also hear there's a stretch limo entrant this year, so keep an eye out for those guys: robot tracking begins at 6:00AM PDT/9:00AM EST tomorrow morning. Check back here for the latest!

[bryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

there's no hyphen in "Carnegie Mellon". Just save yoursevles the trouble next time and call it CMU.

[meljs @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

There's also no capitalization in the middle of Caltech.

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Plus there are two spelling errors in the first two sentences. Don't be in such a hurry to post next time!

The car pictured is from the Stanford team, which was the only one to run the obstacle course flawlessly every time out. They have some pretty good video footage on their team website (I don't know the URL offhand, but you can navigate there from darpa.gov). Last year was a disappointment -- no team made it further than eight miles -- but I'm really interested to see how the teams do this year. There were some very impressive qualifiers (plus I'm hoping that the behemoth TerraMax comes up behind another competitor and, rather than going around, just flattens it and keeps going).

[Exzite @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Actually Carnegie Mellon got in trouble for calling themselves 'CMU', because Central Michigan University was upset. I had to buy all new sweatshirts and hoodies...damn them.

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Who cares...its all about Cornell baby!

[MD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Go Stanford! (The RedBull labelled Touareg). Was the only team to make it through the prelim course every round. The CMU Hummer looks great too. Who knows if it will flip again though :)

[Pacey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Dang Skippy, we want the CMU.com website too! :)

[LD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

I think the inherent problem with most of these vehicles is taking an existing platform and trying to modify it. It would make more sense to make a purpose-built vehicle.

My equipment is in the Insight Racing entry.

[olderty @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

I didn't think Central Michigan was even acredited...

�Go Purdue!

(even though were not in the comp.)

[Mr Yuk @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

CMU has the pole and the number 3 slot. Stanford is second. VATech is 8th or so.

Finally something we can compete in.

Go Tartens

[DG Lewis @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

CMU dropped the hyphen around 1985, and started using the 14 degree tilted box instead of the thistle for their logo, greatly annoying many. Those of us who were there before 85 will always call it Carnegie-Mellon.

[lol @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

None of them will win....lol Stanford, they bought dozens of Sick Cameras and they attached it over VW 4WD . That's insane, such a waste of money...it is not about the car stanford, it is about the program...if you program it right..it will win..

[aak7268 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic automobile overlords.

[benhc911 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

"off like they last year." you might want to add the word "did" or drop of "they".

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

"I think the inherent problem with most of these vehicles is taking an existing platform and trying to modify it. It would make more sense to make a purpose-built vehicle."

Nah, I disagree. One of the problems with NASA robotics projects is they generally insist on doing custom jobs with everything. Then, when something breaks or doesn't work the way it was supposed to, there's maybe two people in the world who know how to fix it. It's a lot more practical -- and, in a way, a lot cooler -- if it works with vehicles and parts that are readily available. The TerraMax team, for instance, isn't just working towards the goal of producing army convoy vehicles, they're working with the actual truck that they'd be using if/when they land that contract. That's the sort of practical, no-nonsense approach that's needed to bring autonomous systems out of science fiction and make them a part of the real world.

[mpeng @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

I think it's hilarious that the Stanfurd car is blue and gold!

[threEchelon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Check out Tom's Hardware Guide for coverage of the event. And stop whining about spelling.

[Scott Canoni @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Is this available on TV?

[asurroca @ Dec 19th 2005 1:06AM]

Well, it looks like Stanford and Volkswagen's Stanley has earned its reputation. If you check the Grand Challenge website, you'll see that Stanley has just finished the entire 132 mile course in 7 hrs 30 min, making Stanley the first autonomous vehicle to succssfully complete the DARPA Grand Challenge. It doesn't look like anyone will be able to beat Stanley's time either.

A big congratulations to the entire Stanford and Volkswagen team. Let the mad props begin!