Imagine a robotic truck that could ferry supplies to U.S. troops in war zones.
That reality is not as far away as you think. In fact, the U.S. Congress recently issued a mandate that by 2015, at least one-third of all government vehicles be autonomous, or self-driving.
To that end the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has issued a public challenge: anyone able to build a robotic vehicle capable of surviving a 250-mile desert course would win a cash prize of $1 million.
Unfortunately, none of the 15 trucks that took on the challenge were able to complete the Barstow, Calif.-to-Las Vegas course in the DARPA Grand Challenge event held this spring.
Most entries, which relied on global positioning satellites as well as sensors, lasers, radar and cameras to orient themselves and avoid obstacles, crashed, overturned or became entangled in barbed-wire.
"It was supposed to be challenging," said Jan Walker, a spokesperson for the Pentagon agency that sponsored the race. "We knew it would be challenging. We're involved because it's a technology we really need to push forward."
A team from Ohio State University teamed up with Oshkosh Truck Corp. to design the Terramax, a 16-ton 6x6 design equipped with Michelin XZL all-terrain non-directional military radial tires. It was outfitted with independent suspension and six computers controlling the functions needed for the Terramax vehicle to drive and navigate itself. Unfortunately, Terramax proved too cautious, freezing not far from the starting line with indecision until officials called off the race after four hours.
With the DARPA challenge, the military is attempting to go beyond current unmanned technology, which requires constant human supervision, with humans giving unmanned trucks commands. To win the DARPA challenge, the trucks had to react to obstacles and terrain, without waiting for commands by remote control.
Few were discouraged by the lack of a winner this year, though. The military plans to hold another DARPA challenge in 2006, and award at least $1 million to the winner. Get planning.
