DARPA Semifinalists Selected

An anonymous reader writes "DARPA has selected thirty-six teams as Urban Challenge semifinalists to participate in the National Qualification Event. Both the webcast and press release can be found on the official site. Dr. Tony Tether reports that only 1 of the top 5 previous teams was rated in the top 5 of teams this year and 3 of the top 5 were not in the challenge finals last year. 'The semifinalists will compete in a final qualifying round at the site on October 26th and be whittled down to 20 teams. Those teams' vehicles will have to perform like cars with drivers to safely conduct a simulated battlefield supply mission on a 60-mile urban course, obeying California traffic laws while merging into traffic, navigating traffic circles and avoiding obstacles -- all in fewer than six hours. The team to successfully complete the mission with the fastest time wins.'"

To use a farkism

[Anonymous Coward]

What could probably go wrong?

This will drive the Taliban crazy

[Anonymous Coward]

Assuming that we are still in Afghanistan in ten years ... and I wouldn't bet that we won't be ... a fleet of these vehicles could really even things up with the Taliban. Imagine the Taliban ambush a vehicle to kidnap the occupants and too late they realize that the occupants are dummies. The vehicle explodes. YES! The terrorists get a taste of their own medicine.

Obeying California Laws?

[kithrup]

How do they put a seatbelt on the computer?

Scoring?

[kclittle]

"The team to successfully complete the mission with the fastest time wins."

Now, exactly how many points per pedestrian?

Re:To use a farkism

[Anonymous Coward]

will one of them find Sarah Connor?

"obeying California traffic laws"?

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one welcome our never-stopping-when-making-a-right-turn overlords.

Oh, that's not the law? It sure seems like it. :)

Re:Obeying California Laws?

[jdigriz]

It's easy, you thread the belt through the handle of the laptop case. I do it all the time. =)

Re:Scoring?

[Atragon]

Most points wins, right?

Re:To use a farkism

[sentientbeing]

Frogger.

Tether?

[jpellino]

The guy in charge of uber-autonomous robots is named TETHER?

You can't make this stuff up.

"Oh, yeah, except for that..."

[djupedal]

"...obeying California traffic laws while..."

I'm working from memory here, so I could be wrong, but to the best of my recollection, Calif. Motor Vehicle Code stipulates that a motor vehicle is required to be under the control of an approved driver at all times.

Hell - break one, break 'em all :")

Re:To use a farkism

[Anonymous Coward]

What could probably go wrong?

How about if one of the automated vehicles crashes into a truck carrying nuclear weapons that was traveling through downtown LA. The engineers who designed the weapons had foreseen every possible accident scenario except this particular automated vehicle crashing into the back of the truck which causes the nuclear weapons to explode. Sleeper cell terrorists throughout the US see this as their signal so they detonate their hidden nuclear weapons in New York City, Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, etc. The Department of Defense assumes this is a sneak attack by Russia and China so it launches all of the US ICBMs and SLBMs sparking a full out nuclear war. Then the fallout cloud and nuclear winter then kills all humans on the planet.

Any other stupid questions?

California Warzone

[ChristensenCT]

Interesting how DARPA connects a battlefield simulation to driving across California. I assume the test-track will the I-10.

Re:"Oh, yeah, except for that..."

[Talennor]

I remember when the California governor was in a movie where he was a robot driving around town. I think this means we'll be alright.