CMU First To Qualify For DARPA Grand Challenge

Anonymous Coward writes "As of 18:00 March 9th, Carnegie Mellon's Red Team is the only entry to successfully complete DARPA's Grand Challenge Qualification Inspection and Demonstration (QID) before the main event on March 13th. The NY Times has this article detailing this first step towards winning the Grand Challenge."

The Homer?

[pixelbend]

Is it just me or does the Sandstorm bear a striking resemblence to "The Homer" [culttvman.com]?

Re:Cost to PRIZE ratio.

[byolinux]

$4 and a dinner at Wendy's!

Re:My University Too

[MalaclypseTheYounger]

Immediately springing to mind is the scene from 'Ocean's Eleven' when the Monster truck is racing the R/C mini-monster truck, and it runs it over.

This is the Department of Defense, after all, so maybe they will allow 'extra programming' to be done to find competitors (foes?) and destroy them?

Turn this whole thing into a huge BattleBots contest instead of a Cannonball Run contest .. I'd pay to see that...

Ack!

[ferralis]

I would sure hate to be a geologist, prospector, or hermit in the desert that day.

Gelogist: [mumbling to himself] Finally! Proof that the formation of this arroyo was caused by--

[Geologist is flattened by an army of driverless cars driving at upwards of 60 mph, one of which detects the collision too late and actually backs up, running over him again, as failing avoidance mechanisms kick in]

Re:Ack!

[Chalybeous]

I have a funny feeling some film studies geek is going to follow the action with a DV camera, and edit the raw footage into a movie using the soundtrack from "Cannonball Run"...

I, for one, welcome our autonomous vehicle overlords - even if they do sound like Burt Reynolds.

QID

[j0hnfr0g]

The Qualification Inspection and Demonstration was rumored to be the state's Driver's License Test.

The vehicles had been fretting about the dreaded parallel parking portion of the test.

Bah!

[JustinXB]

Nice to know 3 million dollars buys you a roll over and placement. What the hell did they do to the HUMVEE that made it roll over? I know HUMVEEs and HUMMERS, they don't roll easily.

Re:Bah!

[slycer9]

>>Nice to know 3 million dollars buys you a roll over and placement. What the hell did they do to the HUMVEE that made it roll over? I know HUMVEEs and HUMMERS, they don't roll easily.

1) Spend 3 weeks on FTX (Field Training eXercise)
2) Get REALLY bored, sneak into town for liquor.
3) Drink said liquor, decide to 'train' in nightime desert nav.
4) Top tall sand dune at 50mph @ 45 degree angle.
5) ?????
6) Figure out how to explain to 1st SGT about flipped HUMVEE.

Automatic Tanks

[datadood]

Speaking of automatic tanks, did any of the teams name their entry Ogre?

Re:Surprised a bit by this... Or Hey Dumbass

[ffallen]

I suppose that the Internet (former DARPANet) is some insidious hunter killer commmunications device?

Re:Ack!

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Nah, Deathrace 2000. More on-target.

Put me on the team!

[loac]

I could have saved them $250,000 in sensors by installing a $100 roll bar!

Re:How is this impressive?

[warlockgs]

I'm all for innovation, but exploiting poorly-worded rules just to win for winning's sake is an empty victory at best.

You don't play AD&D 3rd Edition, do you?

Re:Remember the story about spelling?

[linoleo]

I dno't konw whcih stroy you are tnalikg aubot, but as lnog as you lavee the fsirt and lsat ltertes anole it wrkos qitue wlel.

Is it too late?

[ChiralSoftware]

Is it too late for me to enter my Roomba?

Wrong vehicles...

[Upright Joe]

Man, these teams are using the wrong military vehicles. Humvees? Supply trucks? What the hell is that? Seriously man, strap a GPS system onto an M1 Abrams and open that baby up.

I say screw collision avoidance. Go for collision dominance. Any obstacle capable of stopping a 65 ton tank travelling at 45mph is gonna show up on the mother f**king map.