While we were blogging about robotics last week (see "The Robot in Us All"), participants were hauling vehicles into the Mojave desert to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The race, in its second year, is essentially "a field test intended to accelerate research and development in autonomous ground vehicles that will help save American lives on the battlefield," according to the research agency.
This year's challenge demanded that contestants — the robots — complete a circuit of 131 miles of rough terrain near the town of Primm, Nev. Rules stated that the winner would be the vehicle that finished with the best time, within 10 hours maximum, over a course filled with natural and man-made obstacles, which would only be revealed two hours prior to the race's start.
The winner was a tricked-out VW Touareg engineered by roboticists from Stanford University and Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory. Nicknamed Stanley, the sensor-laden Touareg earned its creators the US $2 million first prize by finishing the course in 6 hours and 53 minutes.
Second place went to a robotic Humvee from Carnegie Mellon University called Sandstorm, followed by a customized Hummer called H1ghlander from Red Team Racing. Finishing fourth was a Ford Escape Hybrid named Kat-5, designed by students in Metairie, La., who lost valuable practice time (and more) when Hurricane Katrina hit the area.
Saturday's race was a breakthrough for DARPA — and robotics in general. In last year's initial running of the Grand Challenge, no vehicle was able to complete the desert obstacle course, and a US $1 million prize went unclaimed.
Congratulations are in order for Stanley, Stanford, and Volkswagen, as well as DARPA.
(And we promise to go at least a few days without writing about robots again. Unless one calls us with a really good story to tell.)
STANLEY THE ROAD WARRIOR
While we were blogging about robotics last week (see "The Robot in Us All"), participants were hauling vehicles into the Mojave desert to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The race, in its second year, is essentially "a field test intended to accelerate research and development in autonomous ground vehicles that will help save American lives on the battlefield," according to the research agency.
This year's challenge demanded that contestants — the robots — complete a circuit of 131 miles of rough terrain near the town of Primm, Nev. Rules stated that the winner would be the vehicle that finished with the best time, within 10 hours maximum, over a course filled with natural and man-made obstacles, which would only be revealed two hours prior to the race's start.
The winner was a tricked-out VW Touareg engineered by roboticists from Stanford University and Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory. Nicknamed Stanley, the sensor-laden Touareg earned its creators the US $2 million first prize by finishing the course in 6 hours and 53 minutes.
Second place went to a robotic Humvee from Carnegie Mellon University called Sandstorm, followed by a customized Hummer called H1ghlander from Red Team Racing. Finishing fourth was a Ford Escape Hybrid named Kat-5, designed by students in Metairie, La., who lost valuable practice time (and more) when Hurricane Katrina hit the area.
Saturday's race was a breakthrough for DARPA — and robotics in general. In last year's initial running of the Grand Challenge, no vehicle was able to complete the desert obstacle course, and a US $1 million prize went unclaimed.
Congratulations are in order for Stanley, Stanford, and Volkswagen, as well as DARPA.
(And we promise to go at least a few days without writing about robots again. Unless one calls us with a really good story to tell.)