DARPA Grand Challenge Maps Revealed
from the so-much-for-that-plan dept
There's been lots of hype about DARPA's Grand Challenge - setting up a 250-mile race course that an autonomous vehicle would have to cover in a limited time period. The original plans said the course would only be revealed two hours before the race began, but for safety reasons, all of the potential routes have already been identified publicly, which is angering a number of contestants. They believe this will give an advantage to other contestants who can simply program in the various courses into their vehicles, which could take away from the whole point of the race. Already, the article reports that a company is offering to go over all of the potential courses with a laser and photographic equipment for any team that wants it. Again, this would seem to go against the entire point of the race (to create autonomous vehicles that could travel anywhere with no warning and no human control). Meanwhile, it looks like a group has taken my suggestion and organized a private version of such a race for all the teams that got rejected from the original one. I'm still waiting for them to sign a TV contract to get these shown on TV alongside Junkyard Wars.
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