Guidelines released for DARPA's Urban Challenge
Track B teams required video submissions and site visits in order to continue in DARPA search for autonomous ground vehicle
A few months ago we reported that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s research arm, received seventy-eight applications to compete as “Track B” teams alongside the already chosen “Track A” teams in the division’s Urban Challenge. Guidlines for the competition — which aims to develop autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) —have just been released for Track B teams. These teams, unlike teams in Track A who were chosen by DARPA through a selective submittal process, were part of an “open call,” so to speak. A prerequisite for B team submissions for approval for the next round require a video demonstration of the state of preparation and capability of the autonomous vehicle to be assessed by DARPA. These video demonstrations will determine who proceeds for consideration for an Urban Challenge Site Visit, and then on to the semifinals in the the National Qualification Event to be held 3 November at an undisclosed location in the western United States. At the Site Visit, DARPA officials verify conformance with the vehicle requirements set forth in the Urban Challenge Rules and observe tests of basic navigation and basic traffic behaviors to assess vehicle capability and system maturity. Teams which do not send in video demonstrations will be inelligible for any further activity in the Urban Challenge.
Video demonstration guidelines (.pdf) | Site visit guidelines (.pdf)
-read more in this news report
