Darpa Challenge

Hello Readers.

This time we are planning on updating you in the current status of autonomous navigation systems, this will be a series of 5 posts, being this first one the introduction of the Darpa Challenge.

The Darpa Challenge was created with the objective of developing the next generation technology for keeping the war fighters out of harms way, in order to that vehicles have to be intelligent and capable of self maneuvering along some predisposed terrain or some city.

First Year’s challenge was to move the vehicle across the Mojave Dessert in a given route. Second Year was to move it along streets, where the vehicle had to make turns, park and some other maneuvers, such as respect traffic signals and speed limits.

In the first competition, Carnegie Mellon University Robot was the number one with the most miles covered, without completing the route.

In the second Year the prize went to Stanford University, with Carnegie Mellon University coming in second place.

The last year was the Urban Challenge which took place in Victorville, California and the prize now went for Carnegie Mellon University.

This challenge has inspired much others all over the world, which we will be talking here in the future.

Until then we leave you with this video of the competition.

Again, the DARPA people is kind of jealous so here is the link