The DARPA Grand Challenge is a race for fully autonomous vehicles planned to occur March 13, 2004. This is expected to be the first such distance race in the United States; to date, there have been other competitions for semi-autonomous vehicles, but none on the scale of the Grand Challenge. The US Defense Department has permitted DARPA to offer prize money to facilitate robotic development, with the ultimate goal of making one of three ground military forces automated by 2015.

The competition is open to all US citizens and organizations, including high school and college students, businesses, and other organizations. More than 100 teams have registered, bringing a wide variety of technological skills to the race.

Table of contents
1 Prize
2 Summary of DARPA Grand Challenge Rules
3 Links

Prize

DARPA will give a prize of $1 million to the first team to complete the 250 mile course in under ten hours.

Summary of DARPA Grand Challenge Rules

  • The vehicle must travel on the ground from the start near Barstow, California to Las Vegas, Nevada (about 250 miles) in under ten hours.
  • The vehicle must stay within the race course boundaries as defined by a data file provided by DARPA.
  • The vehicle may use GPS and other public signals.
  • No control commands may be sent to the vehicle while en route.
  • The vehicle must not intentionally touch any other competing vehicle.
  • An autonomous service station is permitted at a checkpoint area approximately halfway between start and finish.

DARPA is conducting this race in association with SCORE International Off-Road Racing.

Links

Please add links to various team pages here; it would be much appreciated.