INTEREST GROWS FOR ROBOTIC RACE.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer A second race across the California desert for robotic cars is more than a year off, but it is already attracting huge interest from prospective competitors, defense officials said. More than 550 people from 42 states and seven countries turned out for a competitors conference in Anaheim last week to be briefed on the Oct. 8, 2005, ``Grand Challenge'' race. By the end of the day, 31 teams had submitted applications to enter the race for the $2 million prize. The race is being put on by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. government agency administered by the Department of Defense (see Defense, United States Department of). , the same agency that spurred the development of the F-117A stealth stealth Any military technology intended to make vehicles or missiles nearly invisible to enemy radar or other electronic detection. Research in antidetection technology began soon after radar was invented. fighter and the robotic Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft. The Mojave Desert Mojave or Mohave Desert, c.15,000 sq mi (38,850 sq km), region of low, barren mountains and flat valleys, 2,000 to 5,000 ft (610–1,524 m) high, S Calif.; part of the Great Basin of the United States. race is aimed at advancing technologies for future driverless ground combat vehicles and to reach out to businesses and individuals who might not otherwise try to do business with the defense agency. ``We all knew the first Grand Challenge had sparked a new interest in robotics robotics, science and technology of general purpose, programmable machine systems. Contrary to the popular fiction image of robots as ambulatory machines of human appearance capable of performing almost any task, most robotic systems are anchored to fixed positions technology across the nation,'' said DARPA DARPA: see Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) The name given to the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency during the 1980s. It was later renamed back to ARPA. Director Anthony J. Tether tether to tie an animal up by the head or neck so that it can graze but not move away. See also barton tether. . ``But the level of excitement here today exceeds our expectations. The turnout at this conference, and the level of interest expressed by people who could not attend, is a tribute to American ingenuity and to our collective spirit of teamwork (product, software, tool) Teamwork - A SASD tool from Sterling Software, formerly CADRE Technologies, which supports the Shlaer/Mellor Object-Oriented method and the Yourdon-DeMarco, Hatley-Pirbhai, Constantine and Buhr notations. and determination.'' As with the inaugural event, the vehicles will attempt to navigate a challenging course of varying terrain without human aid. The course will be announced next summer, but DARPA has permits good for four years to use the desert area between Barstow and Primm, Nev., for the race. In the inaugural event, held in March, none of the vehicles went beyond the first eight miles of the 150-mile Barstow to Primm route. But DARPA officials said they were pleased with the innovation and enthusiasm of the competitors. In the first event, 106 teams attempted to develop vehicles for the race, but only 15 were able to pass technical reviews to qualify for the start. DARPA anticipates greater participation in Grand Challenge 2005. DARPA plans to invite 40 teams to a semifinals event called the National Qualification Event, to be held Sept. 28 to Oct. 6, 2005. Out of that event, up to 20 teams will be selected as finalists for the race. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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