COUNTY TEAMS APPLY TO BE IN ROBOTIC RACE.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Four north Los Angeles County teams are among the 195 applicants to compete in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's $2 million Grand Challenge race for robotic cars.

Teams from 37 states and three foreign countries have applied to compete in the Oct. 8 event, including all 15 finalists from last year's inaugural competition. That contest ended early after all the competitors broke down or crashed within the first eight miles.

As with the inaugural event last March on a 150-mile Barstow-to-Primm route, the vehicles will attempt to navigate a challenging course over varying terrain without human aid. The team that builds the vehicle that travels the course the fastest in under 10 hours will win the $2 million purse.

``When we first thought about the Grand Challenge in 2003, we genuinely believed only a handful or so of teams would be interested in competing,'' said DARPA Director Tony Tether. ``We were surprised when we received 106 applicants for the first Grand Challenge competition, which we held last year and no one won. The response to this year's Challenge is an even greater surprise.''

The Mojave Desert race is aimed at advancing technologies for future driverless ground combat vehicles and at reaching out to businesses and individuals who might not otherwise try to do business with the defense agency.

The four north Los Angeles County teams are RJW Engineering Solutions of Palmdale; Rogue, of Acton; ``R'' Junk Works, of Lancaster; and KNetX, of Quartz Hill.

The members of the RJW Engineering team describe themselves as members of the aerospace community working out of their homes.

Rogue is led by Bill Ratliff, who has acted as a mentor for high school robotics teams and who enjoys restoring classic Mustangs.

The ``R'' Junk Works team describes itself as a group of aerospace workers working out of their garages.

The KNetX team is made up of engineers and scientists with experience in control system design, vehicle systems, navigation hardware, software development and system integration.

By March 11, teams must provide DARPA with more detailed information about their entries, including a vehicle specification sheet and a video demonstration of their vehicle in action.

Teams that pass the vehicle and video review will receive an in-person site visit during May 2-13. Following the site visits, DARPA plans to invite 40 teams to a semifinal event called the National Qualification Event, to be held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.

Out of that event, up to 20 teams will be selected as finalists for the race.

DARPA is the same agency that spurred the development of the F-117A stealth fighter and the robotic Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com