 |
||||||
|
 |
Sandstorm, H1ghlander Compete in Grand Challenge Semifinals
Forty-three teams have advanced to the semifinals, Sept. 28—Oct. 5, at the California Motor Speedway in Fontana, where the field will be reduced to 20. Each semifinalist will have several runs on a narrow 2.2-mile course that includes obstacles such as a 100-foot tunnel, tank traps, speed bumps, gates, parked cars and piles of tires.
"The trials we're going through certify basic skills on turf and asphalt, but without the challenges and high speeds of desert trail running that will matter on race day," said Red Team leader, Carnegie Mellon robotics professor Red Whittaker. "The obstacle course on the speedway infield is not like the Nevada desert and that's where the real challenges are."
In preparation for the semifinals, Sandstorm and H1ghlander have each run more than 1,000 miles under punishing conditions at the Nevada Automotive Test Center near Carson City. During this time each vehicle has run nearly 170 miles at competitive speeds.
Sandstorm and H1ghlander sense and drive autonomously by computing where and how to drive via seven Intel Pentium-M's and 64-bit Itanium-2 computers. They process terrain models, plan routes and direct driving to avoid hazards. Both HUMMERS map terrain with laser range scanners, stereo cameras and radar sensors.
The Red Team is an alliance of individuals, non-profits and for-profits committed to winning the Grand Challenge. Team members include students, volunteers and employees of corporate sponsors who have been embedded in the team. The Red Team has more than 40 sponsors, including Caterpillar, Boeing, SAIC and Intel, among others.
For updates on the Red Team from the Grand Challenge semifinals, visit http://www.redteamracing.org
Carnegie Mellon to Host Webcast of Race Day
A live Webcast of the Oct. 8 Grand Challenge through the Mojave Desert will be shown on campus in Breed Hall in Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall.
The Webcast will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. Breakfast will be served from 9 to 11 a.m. and lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Alumni Event in Las Vegas
Alumni and friends are welcome to attend a post-race celebration with members of the Red Team on Saturday, October 8, from 8-11 p.m. at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. For more information, please click http://alumni.cmu.edu/redteam/index.html.
Anne Watzman |
||||
|
Carnegie Mellon Home |
||||||
The Grand Challenge, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to advance the technology needed to produce driverless vehicles for the military, gets under way somewhere near Primm, Nev., at 6 a.m., Oct. 8. The first robot to cover the course, which also ends near Primm, in 10 hours or less will win the $2 million grand prize. While the exact route of the race won't be unveiled until two hours before race time, competitors know that the course will run through hostile desert terrain, mountains, gullies, dry lakebeds, tank traps and man-made obstacles.