Who with me?

[Sambuchi]

The Pentagon unveils urban robo-race!

Not sure if you guys saw the "DARPA Grand Challenge 2005"

The top prize in '07 will be $2 million once again, but DARPA would also offer a second prize of $500,000 and a third prize of $250,000. DARPA also will make funding available for contenders before the finals, through two tracks:

*Teams could submit detailed proposals for up to $1 million in technology development funds, with the government obtaining limited licensing rights to the resulting technologies. The selected teams would proceed to a semifinal known as the National Qualification Event.


*Teams could participate in a series of qualifying tests, just as competitors did in the 2004 and 2005 DARPA Grand Challenges. The teams selected for the National Qualification Event would get $50,000, and the teams that are successful at that event will get $100,000 and a spot in the November 2007 finals.


Here more about the race...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12583619/

How about putting all of these "nuts and volts" together to make something worth $2 million dollars! The idea might be crazy enough to work!

[Newz2000]

Lets wait and see the rules.

My first and foremost question is, "how will the vehicle know the traffic laws?"

For example, will the vehicle be expected to obey the posted speed limit, or merely travel the same speed of the vehicles around it, and in the case of no vehicles, some preset value.

My problem with the previous two competitions were finding ways to detect obstacles with enough time to react... for example, barbed wire. In this one will kids dart into the street at unexpected intervals?

I do like the fact that they're giving all finalists a cash reward though.