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$2 Million on the Table for DARPA Urban Challenge

Posted by Zonk on from the go-robo-racer-go dept.

coondoggie writes "The contestants: Thirty-five driverless vehicles. The goal: to navigate an intricate faux-urban environment quickly. The prize: $2 million for the fastest qualifying vehicle. 'The National Qualification Event will take place this weekend ... DARPA says its third-annual Urban Challenge program has the lofty goal of developing technology that will keep soldiers off the battlefield and out of harm's way. The Urban Challenge features autonomous ground vehicles maneuvering in a mock city environment, executing simulated military supply missions while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles.'" I'll be cheering, as long as the creepy robot bear isn't participating.

67 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. solution by User+956 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    DARPA says its third-annual Urban Challenge program has the lofty goal of developing technology that will keep soldiers off the battlefield and out of harm's way.

    We already have that. It's called congress. It's just broken right now.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:solution by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 1

      If only those dirty terrorists would follow the peaceful teachings of the Old Testament- oh wait...

      (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
      They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

      Besides infidels, the Bible commands us to execute fortune tellers, gays, women who are not virgins on thier wedding night, people who curse at thier parents, and people who work on the Sabbath...all sensible rules to live by...given to us directly from an all knowing God.

      http://www.evilbible.com/Murder.htm

      -B

    2. Re:solution by cheater512 · · Score: 1

      You forgot to mention the pedophiles in the Bible too.

      Pity they dont like talking about those parts of the Bible in church.

    3. Re:solution by solafide · · Score: 1

      Mind enlightening us on who these pedophiles are?

    4. Re:solution by Original+Replica · · Score: 3, Informative

      Most people these days don't understand the difference between Pedophilia and Ephebophila. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephebophilia One is unnatural (doesn't make sense biologically), the other is simply culturally unacceptable. Back in the days when the average life expectancy was 40 years old, it made a lot of sense to marry a 14 year old. These days it makes more sense to have young teens continue their education and social development, consequentially our cultural perceptions of what is acceptable have changed.

      --
      We are all just people.
    5. Re:solution by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      The Old Testament and the Quran are both pretty nasty. In fact the Quran is a hacked version of Jewish holy texts which are also the basis for the Old Testament. All these are utterly appalling from a modern point of view because they were written by the semi literate leaders of Taliban like nomads. If you wanted to stay leader you needed to provide your followers with a steady stream of slaves and booty and religion was just a way to justify the wars that you sent them off to fight to get it. In a very real sense, the purpose of these texts is to convince people that raping and murdering people is actually the right thing to do despite the fact that most people know intuitively that it isn't.

      The difference is that Christians have the relatively benign New Testament as well. I also think that Christianity got eroded in the Enlightenment to the point where it is no longer incompatible with a modern society. Before that it certainly was, look at Galileo. So bringing up the Old Testament to show that Christianity is as bad as Islam is pretty disingenuous.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    6. Re:solution by Dark_MadMax666 · · Score: 1
      Please allow me to disagree on this little part :

      that raping and murdering people is actually the right thing to do despite the fact that most people know intuitively that it isn't. Humans were raping and murdering each other since we existed as a species. And there are good evidence that our ancestor apes did that too (and you can observe similar behaviour on modern chimps). So that is "intuitively" right thing to do. NOT doing so is in fact more modern construct, developed as there was need to keep people together on a scale more than a few warring tribes (e.g. country).
  2. Sure winner by AndersOSU · · Score: 1

    My entry, the mechanical turck is a shoo in to win it all.

  3. Is a good thing the are working on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Because the wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And their duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots.

  4. Traffic Circles by Erioll · · Score: 3, Funny

    Screw cars that will parallel park themselves, if they can make cars that navigate those abominations that are Traffic Circles, I'd buy THAT!

    1. Re:Traffic Circles by MyLongNickName · · Score: 2, Funny

      Traffic circles are simple. You just can wait for an engraved invitation to enter the circle. Usually I get caught behind one of these folks and watch with amazement as they pass up opportunity after opportunity.

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    2. Re:Traffic Circles by HyperJ · · Score: 1

      Why not just close your eyes and drive, which I believe is the philosophy the French follow? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZfiiSXqeSk

    3. Re:Traffic Circles by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 1

      Traffic Circles? Yeah, it does suck living in New Jersey. Get with the rest of the world and build some roundabouts.

      Yes, there is a difference. Wikipedia knows.

      (Roundabouts are generally smaller, and ALWAYS follow the "yield when entering" system, unlike traffic circles in NJ)

    4. Re:Traffic Circles by vectra14 · · Score: 1

      (Preface: I'm a member of one of the DUC teams. I'm at the NQE right now.)

      There *is* a traffic circle, although not really a roundabout. 2 lanes all around, moving in the same direction. Several merges and exits. Seems like teams are OK with it so far but that course currently doesn't seem to include moving traffic.

    5. Re:Traffic Circles by GrievousMistake · · Score: 1

      Maybe there are a lot of vampires in your area? I seem to remember something about them not being able to enter circles without being invited.

      --
      In a fair world, refrigerators would make electricity.
  5. Ahh, retirement... by sm62704 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    God but I love technology! The old WWII vets are all worried about losing their mobility when the state determnes they're no longer fit to drive. By the time I'm that old (and I have gray hair and a white beard already) I'll have Sally.

    Military implications? Pshaw, I want my car to drive me home when I'm too drunk to drive myself!

    -mcgrew

    --
    mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    1. Re:Ahh, retirement... by calebt3 · · Score: 1

      Only when you're too drunk?

    2. Re:Ahh, retirement... by hackstraw · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Pshaw, I want my car to drive me home when I'm too drunk to drive myself!

      Think of all of the social changes that self driving cars would bring.

      No more police checkpoints. Kids with as much freedom as drunks, old people, and "normal" adults. No speeding tickets. Car chases in the movies will have to be set in the past, and eventually will look like westerns do today. Registration, insurance, and all that is the responsibility of the _driver_ today. Terrorists will no longer have to hijack trucks and stuff.

      Come to think of it, I would guess by then, going to work would require taking off your shoes, going though a metal detector, and all that prior to take off.

    3. Re:Ahh, retirement... by jhol13 · · Score: 1

      I want my car to drive me home when I'm too drunk to drive myself! I too want your car to drive you home when you are too drunk to drive. (I never go drinking with a car anymore, it used to be annoying to fetch it the next day ...).

      More seriously, I am waiting for the time when cars can drive themselves. It would solve so many problems. I might be able sell my car (and join a car pool) getting perhaps $300 savings a month. Unfortunately it seems I'll be dead before that happens.
    4. Re:Ahh, retirement... by Thing+1 · · Score: 1

      Somewhat OT: Sally reminds me of the Police song.

      Not so very OT though; it is similar in that it too is "replacement technology". :)

      --
      I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
    5. Re:Ahh, retirement... by sm62704 · · Score: 1

      No, it would be nice to be able to read, or watch the scenery go by as I was travelling. But it would be even nicer to be able to get home from a bar without staggering or calling a cab! I try not to drink farther than staggering distance.

      Of course, when I retire I may just stop getting sober.

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    6. Re:Ahh, retirement... by sm62704 · · Score: 1

      And we nerds who could hack the hardware would be menaces to society!

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    7. Re:Ahh, retirement... by sm62704 · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately it seems I'll be dead before that happens

      What, I'm 55, are you even older than me? It's not going to be that long; they already have one that parks itself on the market.

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    8. Re:Ahh, retirement... by jhol13 · · Score: 1

      No, I'm younger (40 something). From parking to *legal* driving I think will take over 40 years.

      I'd love to be proved wrong.

    9. Re:Ahh, retirement... by sm62704 · · Score: 1

      I hope you're wrong too, but I fear you're right. I expected cars to be driving themselves by now. OTOH, paralell parking is about the hardest thing for a human to do.

      I never saw what the probelem with self-driving cars was. Edge recognition has been around for a couple of decades, as has item avoidance (it's how video games work; heck I wrote a battle tank game on a 1mz Sinclair a quarter century ago). Aside from being able to read traffic signs (and OCR has been around for at least 15 years) I really don't see what the problem is.

      Of course, I never saw why it took so long to heat/AC the back seat, either. =(

      -mcgrew

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
  6. Off the battlefield and out of harm's way by Bromskloss · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    They aren't really soldiers then, are they?

    --
    Swedish plasma phys. PhD student; MSc EE; knows maths, programming, electronics; finance interest; seeks opportunities
    1. Re:Off the battlefield and out of harm's way by capoe3 · · Score: 1

      Soldiers of the future will look a whole lot more like the guys I see at QuakeCon.

    2. Re:Off the battlefield and out of harm's way by Lifyre · · Score: 1

      We call them the Air Force. Semper Fi!

      --
      I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
    3. Re:Off the battlefield and out of harm's way by Speefnarkle1982 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I don't think this sort of technology will replace soldiers right out. However, it can be
      a great help in certain situations where you don't want to risk soldiers lives. EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) currently use robots to take out mines, IED's etc. These are different in the sense that they are remote controlled by well trained individuals.
      I see being able to negotiate urban obstacles in overly hostile environments to be a huge advantage especially if they are entirely autonomous. You can then send in robotic vehicles into riskier situations without the concern for loss of human life.

      However, the ability to plan and conduct such operations and being able to assess a real combat situation
      is well beyond current technology. Then you have the whole realm of tactics and strategy, better strategy can allow for huge gains in the battle field, but would we want to leave that to robots? Over-reliance on technology to do humans jobs is a bad thing, and this is definitely a good example of that. I really don't see us ever eliminating the need for "boots on the ground", only maybe enhancing their abilities on the battlefield.

    4. Re:Off the battlefield and out of harm's way by martyb · · Score: 1

      I don't think this sort of technology will replace soldiers right out. However, it can be a great help in certain situations where you don't want to risk soldiers lives.

      Agreed. In fact, my first thought when I heard of this: automated supply lines. If (and that is a BIG "if") they can get this to work, AND come up with solid evasive techniques, I could very well see a convoy of these being used to supply troops in the field. It takes a LOT of material to support an army: food, shelter, transport, fuel, parts, etc. Basically, if it wasn't there before, then it had to be transported there. And, if it won't last forever, it will need to be replaced and that means THAT will have to be transported there, too. Once they get cars automated, it's no great leap to imagine a tractor trailer (lorry) being automatically driven, as well.

      Another idea: emergency driving. If my vehicle comes under fire, it'd be nice if it could handle the driving for a bit while I duck down and remain protected from the assault. Or, I've come under attack and have been sorely wounded. If I can just get in and press the "take me back home" button, that'd be worth a lot! (Of course, it works the other way, too. It'd be a really handy thing to have if you're a thief!!!)

      Sadly, the cynical side of me sees this as being just another tool that a government could use to keep control over its people. The vehicles would just follow orders, no backtalk, easily replaced, and cheaper than humans.

  7. What about... by Lifyre · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Caveat I haven't had a chance to read the entire challenge to see if it answers this question. I'm in Iraq I have better things to do, sort of...

    Does the vehicle have to be one piece? Specifically can it launch a UAV to provide a top down view of the street? This could be then used to avoid crowds (or head towards them), get around dead ends, and generally navigate the cities. The imagery we have is often horribly out of date and roads have moved, stopped existing, or new ones have popped up.

    I think having an eye in the sky dedicated to the vehicle could be a tremendous asset.

    --
    I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
    1. Re:What about... by Rakishi · · Score: 1

      Well I assume that:
      1. A dedicated UAV sent from some other location would make much more sense, launching and retrieving a UAV would be trying to make it a jack of all trades (and thus sacrifice it's ability to do any task well).
      2. UAVs can be shot down, communications can be blocked and radio receivers can be damaged. If there is a single easy to exploit point of failure then the whole system is worthless. It needs to be able to move on it's own and everything else is gravy. In others there is no point in having such a capability at this stage since it'd have to be turned off for most of the test anyway.

    2. Re:What about... by Lifyre · · Score: 1

      Hence the UAV right over head providing a live feed? Fuck AC retards

      --
      I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
    3. Re:What about... by Rakishi · · Score: 1

      ...you're the retard not him. Just because you don't understand his point doesn't mean it's wrong, just that you lack imagination and thinking ability.

      Smoke, clouds, fog, dust, rain, natural radio interference, terrain, tall buildings, underpasses and probably many other things are NORMAL ways to block UAV vision or transmissions. In a war environment you also have ground-to-air missiles, ground-to-ground attacks (that can damage any part of the vehicle), enemy jamming, enemy smoke screens, dust from explosions and probably many other things.

      If it can't move without the UAV it is useless. If it can move without it then there is no point in testing with one as that can be done later.

    4. Re:What about... by TinheadNed · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I haven't checked the rules, but unless something's massively changed from last time, there's no reason to launch a UAV because for a start that would be massively more complicated and more expensive than required, and secondly DARPA are still providing GPS waypoints.

      But I wouldn't have thought they'd want another UAV, there are other competitions for that. Navigating round the traffic is the tricky part. And recognising all the signs and speed limits and stuff.

    5. Re:What about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The vehicle has to start in one piece, have a reasonable form factor (no 100ft periscopes!) and cannot eject any material other than exhaust. So no UAV's, bread crumb trails, oil slicks for your competitors, etc.

    6. Re:What about... by zoogies · · Score: 1

      I'm fairly certain that UAVs are way beyond the scope of the challenge.

    7. Re:What about... by Rakishi · · Score: 1

      I know, I was simply explaining why that is the logical way to hold the competition.

    8. Re:What about... by Dean+Hougen · · Score: 1

      Many of us are working to combine teams of UAVs and UGVs for just this reason. I'm not participating in the competition, though. Dean

    9. Re:What about... by David_Shultz · · Score: 3, Informative

      Does the vehicle have to be one piece? Specifically can it launch a UAV to provide a top down view of the street? This could be then used to avoid crowds (or head towards them), get around dead ends, and generally navigate the cities. The imagery we have is often horribly out of date and roads have moved, stopped existing, or new ones have popped up.

      Yes. All of the equipment has to be on the vehicle. As far as communication goes: GPS is allowed, and a remote kill switch is allowed (required, actually). Other than that, everything is on board. Typical fare is regular cameras (which have good distance vision, but require some smart computer vision algorithms) combined with laser range finders. The winner of the last DARPA challenge was a robot named Stanley (from Stanford) who mapped laser range finding data onto the video images, thus identifying the safe path in the image to travel through.

    10. Re:What about... by mpeg4codec · · Score: 1

      oil slicks for your competitors
      I was kind of wondering what DARPA's next challenge would be after a group won the urban challenge. Now I know: the DARPA Diddy Kong Racing Challenge.
    11. Re:What about... by gr8scot · · Score: 1

      Yes & no. They should be able to communicate with GPS systems, but not depend on them.

      --
      All 19 hijackers were known terrorists 09-10-2001. Lack of FBI intelligence does not justify warrantless wiretaps..
    12. Re:What about... by Lifyre · · Score: 1

      What if the UAV took off from and landed back on the vehicle?

      --
      I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
  8. Re:Come on.... by bullwin69 · · Score: 1

    I'm glad everybody does not have your opinion. Remember the Internet before it was the internet? Go Little Ben

  9. My roommate is working on this project by jameseyjamesey · · Score: 2, Funny

    He's seriously been working for 18 hours a day for the last 3 weeks. He looks cracked out, but he's just DARPAed

  10. How busy are war zones? by markowen58 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    aside from the fact any stop signs and road markings may now be a crater. Do many soldiers get stuck in traffic in the middle of a war zone?

    Surely a better idea would be to train these vehicles to drive evasively once ambushed to stop supplies from not reaching the front line?

    I for one never saw a traffic report from baghdad during the war...

    1. Re:How busy are war zones? by GulagMoosh · · Score: 1

      First off, they are not detecting signs of any type. Secondly, road markings are only one cue that is available for the vehicles to perform. This is an effort by DARPA to push technology forward without major investment. This effort, unlike previous efforts, did fund 10 teams for a $1 million apiece on a milestone basis. The general idea is to get good technology into the field faster and cheaper. DARPA has always had issues transitioning funded efforts into fielded products. It isn't their primary goal....they fund cutting edge stuff and let other agencies fund the into the field development.

      There are numerous robotic programs in the military arena and this is a very minor one in the grand scope. Search around for ANS or FCS and you'll find much greater vision programs than the Urban Challenge. Urban Challenge gets much more media but is less significant that one would expect.

      As for what is happening at UC this weekend since I'm here. Teams went through emergency stop testing today which is little more than a straight course to validate that the DARPA officials can stop any robot in the case of an emergency or temporarily pause execution.

      The qualifier events start tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m across 3 different areas for the 35 teams. Area A focuses on merging with moving traffic; Area B will deal with general road navigation utilizing sparse route points, parking, and open area navigation. Area C covers handling of intersection precedence, road blockages, and U/K turn maneuvers. Each team will take on each area twice over the next few days. Up to 20 teams will be selected for the final competition after the results of the qualifying event are tabulated.

    2. Re:How busy are war zones? by Jame_Retief · · Score: 1

      What this research will REALLY do is lay the foundation for future vehicles, both military and civilian, which will not REQUIRE drivers to get from A---B. There are a number of instances in which this technology would be actively stupid to employ, such as the current situation in Iraq or AFG. Insurrections would thrive on the availability of supplies available by simple roadblocking of automated convoys (for a short period of time, anyway). Yet this tech will, eventually, be used as the foundation of vehicles which will navigate their totally wasted owners home from the bar. Or the 18-wheeler across the country. Lots of obstacle to overcome still, but this lays the groundwork for development.

    3. Re:How busy are war zones? by vertinox · · Score: 1

      aside from the fact any stop signs and road markings may now be a crater. Do many soldiers get stuck in traffic in the middle of a war zone?

      Actually, look up the word "IED" on youtube and watch the videos driving on patrols where IED are used against them (Actually, this one called "I get blown up!" is a home made one of the solders from inside (warning they use a bit of a cursing)) and they are driving around in urban combats usually with other military vehicles stopped around them and other civilian ones.

      Of course they drive like mad all the time because of the IEDs.

      Now if the robots were sent through and the insurgents blew one up, no one dies in the process and all you have to do is send in a patrol and take out the insurgent and then send another robot.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  11. Just add a cannon by Colin+Smith · · Score: 1

    Fully automated armoured infantry.

    --
    Deleted
  12. Laumer, et al by rossdee · · Score: 1

    Automated robotic fighting vehicle? Sounds like a Bolo to me....

  13. We've got these here by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny
    In my town we have quire a few vehicles, mainly large Cadillacs, that cruise the streets with no apparent driver. They still have some bugs to work out, as they don't always stop for signals or pedestrians. And they definitely don't move very quickly.

    Upon closer inspection, one can see a little grey head not quite level with the dashboard. But I don't think these occupants have any connection to the vehicles' control.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2:_Judgmen by kwarren · · Score: 1

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2:_Judgment_Day

  15. Out of harm's way? WTF? by vandan · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Developing robots for urban warfare isn't exactly going to decrease civilian deaths or injuries. It's going to increase them. The only thing it will decrease is the reports of dead US soliders. A great example of the twisted focus on 'our' deaths came recently here in Australia. The 2nd Australian solider was killed in Afghanistan. Absolutely everyone on the mainstream media and 2-party political system is falling over themselves to declare our fallen solider a hero. But no-one ever talks about the thousands of hero is Afghanistan, such as men, women and children who 'soldier on' after having their loved ones killed and injured, and classified as 'collateral damage'. These are the real heroes - the innocent civilians who face incredible hardship precisely because of our military and economic meddling in their country. Instead of developing better killing systems, we should develop a more just society. To all those drones protest that we need to fight terrorism - get a grip - we're creating the terrorism. Remove the cause, and the symptom will disintegrate.

    1. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1
      Way to turn a nice topic about robotics into the standard diatribe.

      Bonus points for mentioning the "root causes" of terrorism. Hint: it's called Islam.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by cumin · · Score: 1

      Thag say war bad!

      Thag say why war? Thag think must be people mad, don't make people mad! Let them do whatever they want! Thag gladly give DNS-and-BIND as peace offering to bullies.

      Islam isn't bad, just kill all the people who don't convert and you'll see. (Burn karma, burn!)

      --
      Back in my day when we chiseled our bits into stone and sent them by mule train from village to village...
    3. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by vandan · · Score: 1

      Oh dear. Even the Chinese are buying the US trash about the war on terror. But then, you're not a typical Chinese, are you? You're in with the dictatorship. I suppose it suits your purpose to support the whole 'war on terror' ideology. I think you need to worry less about Islam, and more about your own government. Try reading some Marx and Lenin, and get a grip on what socialism is really about, and then have a good look at the pathetic excuse for a social system in your own country.

    4. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      WTF are you talking about? Just because I live in China doesn't make me Chinese. I think someone is projecting his anxieties on the world at large, because I don't get what the hell you're talking about. China is not a dictatorship. Hu Jintao's word does not travel very far at all outside Beijing. Please try to be more informed and less spittle-flecked next time.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    5. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by vandan · · Score: 1

      I don't get what the hell you're talking about. China is not a dictatorship

      Oh really? You're one deluded dude. I especially like all the pro-CCP-dicatorship propaganda you have set as your home page - it makes you look really independent when you claim that China is ... what exactly, if not a dictatorship? Please tell. Actually, don't bother. Think about it to yourself. I already know the answer, and if you can't bring yourself to admit it, I'm not really interested in hearing how great China is from a rabidly pro-dictatorship wheeler and dealer.
    6. Re:Out of harm's way? WTF? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Dude. Seriously. Just because I buy commie posters for 50 cents apiece and sell them for $20 doesn't indicate any political views. A dictatorship has...wait for it...a dictator. Who is dictator of China? It certainly isn't Hu Jintao. His power is severely circumscribed by the Party apparatus. Also, wipe the spittle off the corners of your mouth.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  16. Re:social irresponsability of computer scientists by cumin · · Score: 1

    Probably right after there stop being reasons to go to war. Which will happen after people decide to treat each other decently regardless of politics, government or religion.

    Of course, you can refuse to fight, you can refuse to participate. I'm sure if you stand up for your beliefs and take responsibility for yourself, people will respect your opinion. Or you could just stay anonymous, nobody's calling you a coward ... oh wait, yeah, we are.

    --
    Back in my day when we chiseled our bits into stone and sent them by mule train from village to village...
  17. Re:You are all so naive it is sickening by cumin · · Score: 1

    Of course! I guess I never realized how obvious it is, but now I see that you can't get people to commit atrocities against each other, now I see that the projects designed to utilize technology in new ways are really just evil people, cowards who want to remain anonymous... wait, that does sound familiar.

    --
    Back in my day when we chiseled our bits into stone and sent them by mule train from village to village...
  18. The hardware is much better than last time by Animats · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One of the major side effects of the DARPA Grand Challenge series is that the supporting hardware has become much better. You can now buy most of the major components off the shelf. GPS/INS/compass/odometer navigation units are a few thousand dollars, rugged, and work well. When the first Grand Challenge was announced, the off-the-shelf solution cost about $170K and required 4U of rackmount space, with air conditioning. CMU actually used that in the first round.

    LIDAR units have improved enormously in the last two years. Last time around, everybody just had single-beam line scanner LIDARs, usually from SICK, except for Team DAD, who built a multibeam scanner that worked but wasn't rugged enough. This time, the major players have multibeam LIDAR units from Velodyne or Ibeo. Velodyne's unit has 64 lasers on a spinning drum. Now you can image your entire environment in 3D at 5Hz.

    Controlling the vehicle is easier, too. There are now cars available with electrical power steering and brakes, and one can tap into those systems to drive. And there are at least three vendors selling gear for remote/autonomous driving of existing cars.

    So now it's almost entirely a software problem. You don't burn so much time and effort building sensor and actuator systems.

  19. Re:Bonus points awarded by pimpimpim · · Score: 1
    I would not call this a troll, it's a damn serious human rights issue. Who can you stand up to for inhumane abuse of these systems? Why shouldn't they go around and shoot at running kids, the movements kids make are quite probably similar to that of someone who is suddenly attacking.

    Who will be held responsible? I admit, already now it is a problem and you will most likely not see any justice as a (family member of a) victim, but at least at the moment, any attack done is a human decision. Also remember that back in the day, it was a human operator in a Russian Rocket base who decided the incoming rockets was a technical error, and didn't press the button.

    In no way should a robot or computer make decisions about life or death issues. We humans have a conscience for a reason.

    --
    molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
  20. Re:social irresponsability of computer scientists by Jame_Retief · · Score: 1

    Have you ever heard the saying: What if they held a war and no one showed up? It is the bastardization of the complete verse (cannot remember the author) which goes on to talk about how the country that fails to show up for the war GETS TO BE THE SLAVES OF THE COUNTRY THAT DOES! It is a verse about how WAR IS NECESSARY to maintain freedom. But like all good wanna-be dictators, those who wish for 'freedom from war' will always only tell you what they want the truth to be.

  21. Re:Link no working by vertinox · · Score: 1

    Too early in the morning. Correct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrdcddNx29c

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  22. Another Team by acaila_edhel · · Score: 1

    There is a team in my county that is competing in this challenge. They have put out fliers before, looking for sponsors and manpower.

    Here is their website: http://aimagic.org/html/agv_wendy_darling.html
    The picture of the car in TFA is kind of wimpy compared with this team. Instead of trying to drive a car around a simulated city, they have outfitted a huge military truck. Here are some specs:

    # M-215 Cargo Truck 2.5 ton
    # GVW=18,560 lbs. Empty weight 14,460 lbs.
    # GMC 2-1/2 ton
    # AIM AutoPilot for driverless operation
    # Six Wheel Drive
    # Engine model GMC 302
    # Displacement 302 cu. in. 130 hp at 3,200 rpm
    # Four cycle, six cylinder