Robotic vehicles from 11 teams are set to compete in the final of the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge on November 3. The top teams from around the world will compete for cash prizes worth US$ 2 million for first, US$ 1 million for second, and US$ 500,000 for third place. As a sponsor of Stanford Racing Team's 'Junior' driverless car, NXP wishes the team success in the upcoming autonomous race.
It's the third Challenge competition to be held by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). The Urban Challenge features autonomous ground vehicles in a mock city environment. It is being held at the urban military training facility located on the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. All the vehicles will have to execute simulated missions while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections and avoiding obstacles.
Stanford Racing Team won the previous Challenge in 2005 with 'Stanley'. However for this year's competition, 'Junior' needed a much more sophisticated level of artificial intelligence to interpret its surroundings, which for the first time includes moving objects.
Junior is a 2006 Passat wagon whose steering, throttle and brakes have been modified by engineers at the Volkswagen of America Electronics Research Lab to be completely computer-controllable. A collection of sensing devices includes a range-finding laser array that spins to provide a 360º, 3-D view of the surrounding environment in near real-time.
All the teams share a passion for the advancement of robotic technology and machine intelligence, and include groups from both academia and the robotics, automotive, and defense industries. Each is hoping their vehicle can complete the 60 mile urban course in less than six hours.
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