Robots, start your engines (Carnegie Mellon University wins DARPA race)

SF Gate ^ | 11/3/07 | Tome Abate

[BurbankKarl]

A robotic car named Junior, programmed by Stanford computer scientists, finished slightly ahead of Boss, the robo-vehicle from Carnegie Mellon University, as half a dozen driverless vehicles made history by completing a 60-mile race over a city-like environment.

But the real winner of this third and most difficult in a series of robo-races is probably the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which sponsored the first of these events in 2004 to spur development of unmanned military vehicles. In all, 11 robotic vehicles set out on the race course Saturday morning, and while five scrubbed out for various reasons, the fact that six driverless vehicles drove a delivery route seems like a win for innovation. No car finished in the first race in 2004.

DARPA officials were huddled in a temporary building on a decommissioned Air Force base here where they had to clear 10 miles of roads to create a race course designed to simulate a town - challenging the 11 robotic vehicles that took off about 8 a.m. The participants were tasked with completing a long series of simulated deliveries in under six hours.

Given that both the finish time and adherence to traffic laws are criteria for winning, it is possible that the Carnegie Mellon team - which lost to Stanford by a hair in the 2005 competition - could emerge the final victor once the traffic-law results are compiled.

Indeed, once the infractions are added to the tally, it is possible that Odin, the third robo-car to cross the finish line, could emerge victorious, which would please many of the roughly 2,000 spectators who cheered the Virginia Tech team that kept their focus despite the tragic shootings at their Blacksburg campus in the spring.

[BurbankKarl]

[krb]

Indeed, once the infractions are added to the tally, it is possible that Odin, the third robo-car to cross the finish line, could emerge victorious, which would please many of the roughly 2,000 spectators who cheered the Virginia Tech team that kept their focus despite the tragic shootings at their Blacksburg campus in the spring.

Go Hokies!!!

[burzum]

Why do you think that Stanford won the race (as you put in the title)? CMU’s Boss made time on Stanford’s vehicle since Stanford started 20 minutes before CMU but Boss finished only a couple of minutes after Stanford. I think I also remember that Stanford had some obvious infractions while CMU had none that I could see (it was either VT or Stanford that hit a curb and briefly went offroad if I recall correctly).

The official results should be released at 10 AM (PST) during the awards ceremony.

[freema]

PING

[marktwain]

Wonderful news. How long before we have robotic taxis and I can tell my personal vehicle to drive me cross country while I take a nap or read freerepublic?

[Right Wing Assault]

it is sobering to realize that many vehicle sensors were prone to dust confusion

They didn't see this coming and build in wipers to prevent it?

[marktwain]

“They didn’t see this coming and build in wipers to prevent it?”

The universe is a messy, chaotic, unpredictable place. It is impossible to predict everything. Most of engineering and technological advancement is cut and try, adapt and problem solve.

It is only because we have reached such a high level of technological achievement that people believe otherwise.

Murphy’s law is alive and well.

[burzum]

The results are in:

#1: CMU
#2: Stanford
#3: Virginia Tech

[Colorado Doug]

But the real winner of this third and most difficult in a series of robo-races is probably the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

I would imagine that China has done alright for themselves here too.

[PA Engineer]

Yes!