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Teach A Robot To Drive, Win A Million Bucks
An Anonymous Reader writes "DARPA has released the details of a 'Grand Challenge,' with a $1 million prize. The challenge is to build an autonomous vehicle which can 'navigate on its own over a 250-mile desert course in less than 10 hours.' from L.A. to Vegas, 'without external communication or human control.' The contest is to be conducted in March 2004, and is open to all comers. Can we get at least one entry to represent slashdot?" We've mentioned this contest a few times before: any intended entrants out there want to disclose your secret plans?
To get FP
in soviet-russia the car controls YOU!
dislose? Does that mean find them?
Just make it really really big, with treads, and a huge freaking mulcher on the front. Then, just let it travel in a straight line from LA to Vegas. Crushing everything in its path!
robot prime suspect for fridays hit and run accident which resulted in the death of several school aged children..
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL!!
"We've mentioned this contest a few times before: any intended entrants out there want to dislose your secret plans?"
:)
I could, but then I would have to kill you.
A car driven by this would fail in no time...
Can we teach the humans to, as well?
but just pointing an old car in the right direction with the steering wheel and accelarator jammed would have a small chance of victory. It would make a lot more sense than playing the lottery, and on the off chance that it did work, it would piss off DARPA no end.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
Who's piloting it, Bender?
Friends don't let friends use multiple inheritance.
Now if someone could just teach the residents of Florida how to drive...
I Heart Sorting Networks
I plan to build a 250-mile-long car.
sounds simple enough... stick a midget inside!
Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
If someone from Slashdot enters a vehicle, it should definitely be named "Autonomous Coward." :)
I hear they've got the "flying to a building within a 1 mile radius" part done. Wouldn't it be not much more difficult to extend the radius to 250 miles? What would be involved?
Lots and lots of square miles.
Cover your eyes and click this link!
The challenge here is real-time processing of vision data to handle obstacle avoidance, etc.
;)
They say that you can use "public navigation signals. So a GPS (and backup) receiver, along with a Digital Elevation Map of the area would be half the battle. But real-time stereoscopic vision is a bitch. The nice thing is that you can fit a whole lot of computing power into a medium sized car.
I suspect another big problem will be colliding with other bot cars... I'm thinking about running a Ford Pinto, which due to the placement of it's gas tank, will explode on impact. At least that away the other robot cars will FEAR mine and stay away
-JE
"You're always going to have problems moving a body in one piece" -- Brick Top
Does slapping a fedex label on yourself and jumping in the nearest drop box count as "external communication"?
Can we get at least one entry to represent slashdot?
:)
I doubt it. But do notify us when there is a baloon race. We could donate loads and loads of hot air!
Everyone knows that any finite path can be traversed by an infinite amount of monkeys driving an infinite amount of cars (with infinite gas) over an infinite amount of time.
Massive networking attempt for friends
If two robots got in an accident on the Canada/Mexico border, where would they bury the survivors?
Eh, it'll be funny when a team of Indian programmer can design the same car for a tenth of the money... but it'll die at the first unexpected obstacle.
And of course DARPA will give the job to the Indians.
I would like to slam DARPA for using this fun contest to get ideas on hopw to kill people better.
Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
Nice to know that DARPA is now getting into the casino shuttle business.
No offence to Italian drivers, but this little project developed an autonomous vehicle using Linux, that could drive on Italian highways. Pretty impressive!
the ARGO project
If you've ever driven in Italy you should be impressed too...
... it must be the touring test.
Infuriate left and right
The challenge is to build an autonomous vehicle which can 'navigate on its own over a 250-mile desert course in less than 10 hours.' from L.A. to Vegas, 'without external communication or human control.'
I'm pretty sure autonomous operation is of utmost importance to DARPA. On goes the tinfoil hat but:
PHASE 1: 'navigate on its own over a 250-mile desert course in less than 10 hours.'
PHASE 2: Transform into robot-humanoid form.
PHASE 3: Identify targets. Lock. Fire.
(PHASE 4: Profit!)
The only question you've gotta ask is, in today's ambiguous political environment, who are the autobots and who are the decepticons?
Seriously, call me a troll, but would DARPA be interested in an autonomous vehicle capable of navigating desert terrain, without also considering coupling it with an autonomous weapon system? Or maybe I just spent too much time playing Command & Conquer back in the day.
After it gets to Vegas, surely we need to give it AI to play blackjack and then get shitface drunk. Otherwise, it would be a wasted trip.
BTW, is Vegas gonna take odds for this race?
Table-ized A.I.