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9th Annual AUV Competition Results

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the below-the-water-line dept.

Sean.D.Matthews writes "This weekend the 9th Annual Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Competition was held in San Diego. This year, teams were challenged to complete three tasks including finding a docking station, dropping markers in marked bins along a pipeline, and surfacing in a recovery zone marked by an acoustic pinger. Teams from MIT, Cornell, Duke and eighteen others competed for the grand prize. After an intense final round, the University of Florida's Team SubjuGator walked away with the victory for a second year in a row. Interestingly, the UF team ran Windows XP embedded on SubjuGator's on-board computer."

21 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. I like to thank god, my family, bill... by not+already+in+use · · Score: 3, Funny

    Steve Balmer will be giving his victory speech shortly.

    --
    Similes are like metaphors
  2. Artistic Faults. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Interestingly, the UF team ran Windows XP embedded on SubjuGator's on-board computer.""

    The BSOD's blend nicely with the water.

  3. Uh-oh... by vnangia · · Score: 5, Funny
    Interestingly, the UF team ran Windows XP embedded on SubjuGator's on-board computer.

    I have this sinking feeling...

    1. Re:Uh-oh... by EzraSj · · Score: 3, Funny

      New meaning to the word crash? The blue sea of death? Luckily it sprung no security leaks? /got nothin.

      --
      Meta, Meta, Meta
  4. Interesting? by NineNine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Interestingly, the UF team ran Windows XP embedded on SubjuGator's on-board computer."

    Could somebody please tell me why this is "interesting"?

    I'm kind of surprised that the article summary didn't read, "Interestingly, the UF team assembled the SubjuGator using Phillips head screws."

    1. Re:Interesting? by 0racle · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because most or all of the other teams didn't use XP Embedded? Because XP Embedded is not what most people first think of for applications like this? Because this is Slashdot?

      --
      "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
    2. Re:Interesting? by fireboy1919 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You seem to be thinking of XP embedded as the normal thing - kind of like using Phillips head screws. I think you're missing it.

      Think more of teaching an ape sign language. Apes aren't good at sign language; Windows XP isn't good at being an embedded operating system.

      Doing that is an oddity and a marvel. How can you get something so inept to do that?

      I went to an unmanned arial vehicle competition a while back. There were about a dozen teams, and none of them ran any Windows products at all on their devices. Most were more worried about solving the actual problems of the craft to bother fiddling with Windows as well.

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  5. I am totally suprised... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    that it never deep blue screened.

  6. My high school's in it by i.of.the.storm · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We're the only high school to compete in it. Last year we placed 5th but this year we did like no work during the school year and I wasnt here during most of the summer so I have no idea what happened. Our best ranking was 2nd. Apparently this year we're 15th. Look for Amador Valley High School on this page: http://www.auvsi.org/competitions/06standings.cfm

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    All your base are belong to Wii.
    1. Re:My high school's in it by i.of.the.storm · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Oh and also, until this year we were using Linux on some sort of Pentium III stack computer thingy, this year we got the OQO handheld PC thingy since our old sub was totaled and the cost of old parts was too high. It was the easiest way to get USB in our sub and it's self-contained, but expensive. Our code was in Java, but it used to be C++. I think our site got hacked though, and I don't know who runs it and it hasn't been updated in a long time.

      --
      All your base are belong to Wii.
    2. Re:My high school's in it by ampmouse · · Score: 2, Interesting

      My High School was going to compete, we were even registered for several months. We had to withdraw in late June due to lack of funding (it's hard to build a AUV with only $900, especially when there is a $500 registration fee). We are going to start looking for money earlier this year. Hopefully we will see you there next year!
      (And yes, our software is entirely open source.)

  7. WindowsXP by ajs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, to be fair, I'm sure that the OS has little to do with the controls once they're done writing their own code, and I'm sure the same could be done with just about any OS at the "helm".

    1. Re:WindowsXP by schwep · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree. I worked on a project like this in college. Any time a person or company would give us money for the project, we were happy. We weren't too pickey about who gave it to us. Congratulations to everyone involved, especially UF.

  8. Makes a good fit... by Capt+James+McCarthy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unlimited cooling source + buoyancy control = Hardware necessary to run XP

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    There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
  9. Deep blue screen of death. by pookemon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Release of Vista now delayed while Microsoft develops drivers for a snorkel.

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    dnuof eruc rof aixelsid
  10. Related Links! by UFgatorSean · · Score: 5, Informative


    http://www.auvsi.org/competitions/06competitors.cf m
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic le/2006/08/08/AR2006080800960.html
    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060807- 9999-1m7sub.html
    http://mywebcache.com/2006/08/07/subjugator-holds- onto-top-honors-in-9th-annual-auv-competition/

  11. Subjugator 2006 Team Roster by UFgatorSean · · Score: 2, Informative


    Carlo Francis (Captain)
    James Greco
    Kevin Claycomb
    Matthew Koenn
    Sean Cohen
    Sean Matthews
    Michael Gregg
    Jacob Collumns
    Gene Shokes
    Greg Cieslewski
    Adam Barnett
    Eric M. Schwartz (Advisor)
    A. Antonio Arroyo (Advisor)

  12. XP vs. /. by vp0ng · · Score: 5, Insightful

    i find it interesting that only one intelligent comment has been made on this whole thread so far. the post about any OS being able to run the units. i know i'll be modded down as a troll, but there's no reason to be afraid of a windows bot winning 2 years in a row. yes, linux r0xx0rz and is uber, so take solace in that. the bot didnt blue screen, it didnt crash. it won. let's have some proper commentary maybe oh, i don't know, on the the technology, like this place is supposed to be discuss, rather than windows bashing every topic that mentions it in a positive way and turning slashdot more and more into a linux fanboy club. mod me down now.

    --
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  13. Intellegent comment by bananaendian · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What I found interesting was the custom carbon fiber body, MIL-STD underwater wiring and connectors and logos on the side like Lockheed Martin and Microsoft. With sponsors and resources like that I wonder where the challenge is? IMHO there should be two different series - an open series like the existing one and one for software only where all teams would use the same platform. And perhaps there should be some limits set on the open series on resources like you would in a Soapbox Derby. That way kids would have to learn use their wits rather than throw money at problems. I guess this explains those military R&D budjets...

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  14. ETS... by lams · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This year again you tried to make a troll about Subjugator running windows... Could you look at all the effort that it take to build an AUV and giving more information on the event instead ? Well, I'm in SONIA the AUV team of the École de technologie supérieur. We finish on the podium with Duke and UF. It would have been nice if you would have mentioned it... instead of talking about MIT that finish fifth this year. One year of effort deserved some visibility. Anyway, nice work to all the teams that were there at this year competitions. To UF and Duke :) I'm pretty sure it was close ;) Good luck for the new development year that is beginning. Lams

  15. Windows? by Bazman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Surely any marine vessel should be running Portholes XP.