WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2005 – When five unmanned vehicles crossed the finish line last weekend after a 132-mile race through the Mojave Desert, they
signaled more than just a technological breakthrough.
"Stanley," the winning autonomous vehicle in the DARPA Grand Challenge, nears the finish line in the Mojave Desert on Oct. 8. DARPA photo
"These vehicles haven't just achieved world records, they've made history," said Tony Tether, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, as the DARPA Grand Challenge concluded in Primm, Nev.
Four of the finishers crossed the finish line Oct. 8 and the fifth, the following day.
The DARPA Grand Challenge was the first race of its kind in which autonomous ground vehicles used nothing but onboard sensors and navigation equipment
to steer themselves along the desert course in under 10 hours. And unlike traditional vehicle races that include mostly straights and curves, this
race included tunnels, mountain switchbacks, lake beds and on- and off-road stretches - similar to routes typical military convoys follow. Walker said
the race demonstrated once and for all that autonomous vehicles are indeed capable of traveling long distances over difficult terrain at high enough
speeds to be "tactically relevant."
Five autonomous vehicles successfully completed the DARPA Grand Challenge, led by "Stanley," the Stanford University team's entry that finished the
course in 6 hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds, Walker said.
Five autonomous vehicles successfully completed the DARPA Grand Challenge, led by "Stanley," the Stanford University team's entry that finished the
course in 6 hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds, Walker said.
source
Wow this just proves that the battlefield will be radically changing soon. I think these vehicles could be used as scouts, and surveliance vehicles,
just like the first UAVs were. Any thoughs?