1/7/2008

Happening in Vegas

Luckily for Carnegie Mellon’s Tartan Racing Team,  “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” is just a slogan, not reality. The team’s robotic vehicle, Boss, is there for the annual Consumer Electronics Show this week and it seems like the whole world knows it.

When Boss won the DARPA Urban Challenge and its $2 million prize on Nov. 3, the team received a lot of coverage in local, national and international newspapers, magazine and Web sites. But the major TV networks didn’t show up for the race in Victorville, Calif., and largely ignored it in their newscasts.

The CES, by contrast, is a magnet for journalists. Thousands of reporters show up to see the latest thin-panel TV screens, video notepads and other high-tech toys unveiled at this giant event. In addition to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates’ annual keynote, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner is presenting a keynote address Jan. 8, highlighting the company’s plans to spends millions to develop a car that can brake and accelerate on its own and take action to avoid accidents.

As a major sponsor of Tartan Racing, GM naturally arranged to have Boss on hand to demonstrate what Wagoner is talking about. Chris Urmson, the team’s director of technology, is on hand, as are teammates Bob Bittner and Jarrod Snider.

So far, the media are eating it up. This morning, viewers of NBC’s Today Show saw weatherman Al Roker climb into Boss’ passenger seat, press a big green button and be robotically chauffeured around a parking lot; over at CBS’ Early Show, viewers saw correspondent Daniel Sieberg take a similar spin. Word is Boss – and perhaps Urmson – will appear on this evening’s CBS Evening News; by all means, tune in.

The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times both included Boss in advance stories they ran this morning on Wagoner’s upcoming speech.

Viva Las Vegas!
    

Byron Spice