DARPA announces third Grand Challenge.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced plans to hold its third Grand Challenge competition on Nov. 3, 2007. The DARPA Urban Challenge will feature autonomous ground vehicles executing simulated military supply missions safely and effectively in a mock urban area. Safe operation in traffic is essential to U.S. military plans to use autonomous ground vehicles to conduct important missions. DARPA will award prizes for the top three autonomous ground vehicles that compete in a final event where they must safely complete a 60-mile urban area course in fewer than six hours. First prize is $2 million, second prize is $500,000, and third prize is $250,000. To succeed, vehicles must autonomously obey traffic laws while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles. The DARPA Grand Challenge Web site <http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge> is the primary resource for information about the Urban Challenge event.