Found it, it's called TACAN but it matches you're description pretty well.

http://www.radarpages.co.uk/mob/nava...can/tacan1.htm

This type of systems relies on "line of site"and may or may not be useful in this project.

Another thing to think about is where they are going to run this race.
This subject has confused some Old timers that remember another race along almost the same route,
"The Barstow to Las Vegas" MC race was killed by environmentalist,
So I'm thinking that it will be mostly on Government / Military land,
some Map research maybe in order?

Geo.

Just to let you guys know.. started a new thread devoted to the programming of the bot. I'm thinking this thread should be devoted (as it has been pretty consistantly) to the devices needed to navigate and how to navigate and other stuff.. while the programming thread should be devoted to well.. programming. Basically how to control the robot, or how to coordinate the system.. or whatever.

Yeah.. I wrote a nice long proposal on what I think should be done.. not going to repeat here.

To be brief, don't count on any outside communications. That means, don't count on GPS, radio, hell, even knowing what the weather will be.

Everything should be self contained. Include GPS, as a "nice to have thing" but a thing that is only used when possible. I would assume you have some sort of coordinates to the next checkpoint, store those, use compasses, the sun, the stars, whatever, but try to make it all self-contained. We want something that will go by itself to a pre-selected destination.

I don't know if something like that is possible, but you have to think minimalistic (if that's a word) here. GPS and radios are great, but in war, radio silence and the weak GPS signals quickly remove those as options. Think of how troops navigate. Granted, they don't navigate while flying along at 30 MPH, but you gotta have some sort of challenge somewhere :p.

Ok.. so how are we going to tell if theres a huge rock in front of us.. or a little one? Or etc.

Object detection.

Can anyone get this stuff? Does anyone have experience in using it? Myself I'm thinking Radar of some kind would be very useful to use.. but I have very little experience using it, and I certainly have no resources on obtaining it. But let's start coming to concrete details I think.. we need to draw up a technical paper of some kind I think soon. I dunno. Ask George :)

How good is the resolution on RADAR? Ultrasound? Infrared?

If RADAR has millimeter resolution, great, we're done. But I think (think, not know) it's more on the scale of meter resolution. That means, anything under a meter, we won't even see, or see very clearly. A one meter rock is still enough to knock a standard car out of commission.

Setting something up like stero vision would definitely do the trick, but of course, is insanely difficult. Also, remember, EVERYTHING must be protected, otherwise it may be destroyed by weather, crashes, etc.

Gyrocompass?? Or how about a chinese compass. Each of those things should point in the same direction no matter what orientation the car is in. All you need to do is calibrate them.How about laser mapping. Sorry I do not have more time to explain what this is.

Hi,
Digi-Key offers a Digital compass Module-HMR3000 (pp1108)
The wright-up in applications include: heading, (navigation of unmannd vehicles); Avionic compassing, Integration with GPS And Laser Range Finders (surveying applications) + MORE
With up to 3-axis

I still think GPS+TOPO Map Ref.+Compass+sensors+?

Looking Good!..... Keep thinking!

Geo.

Hmm....I think we need to build a giant magnetic component onto the car to throw off other car's compasses. Hey, if we integrate it right, im sure we could demonstrate its nessacity in the car. For example, use it as the main connection between the front of the car and the back of the car, and explain how its nesscary or the car will fall apart without it :p

My main point of this post was not to show ways of how we can foil other cars (even if it is fun!), but to point out the problem with relying on a compass. Im not saying don't use it, I'm just saying watch for possible problems.

redundancy ;)

Compasses are good. Compasses + Laser Mapping + RADAR + Ultrasound + GPS + ... is even better :).

The only problem after that is, picking a weighting system, so if the systems don't agree, which has the final say. In that, the compass would probably not come first, because of reasons you mentioned.

Yeah we need some redundancy, and the more we got the better, within power constraints. I think a properly filtered array of IR sensors mounted on a revolute-coordinate base, for tracking the sun, coupled with an accurate hardware clock I think there's some way to keep a good tap on you're location, and ultrasound for the surrounding area. Anyone have any info are filtering the sun down to a reasonable non-drowning IR level?

you would have to take into consideration cloud cover, and such. i think maybe a IR/UV/Visual combo may actually work pretty well. Mount them all together, you can see sun on all three, you're bound to see it on at least one thing. i think.

one other really cool thing, but probably not possible, would be to put some star maps in, so you could use those to orient at night, but i think that's a bit overkill now, and i don't think it's needed (the trip is only 10 hours max, right?).

That time of year is overcast/rain
don't forget tunnels,
Has anyone checked Banner sonar sensors?
How about laser mapping?
gotta go,
Geo.

Errmmm... No one in their right mind will use a regular compass. They will be using gyro-compasses though which is what airline use.

speaking of what airlines use, they must have some sort of navigational backup besides geo-compasses and GPS, either for the auto-pilot or the regular pilot. maybe we can apply the same techniques?

second, if this time of the year is overcast/rainy, count out on trying to sense the sun as a main navigation aid, but keep it in as a "nice to have thing" cause i'm sure DARPA would love something like that (as in, if you have time, and nothing better to do, make it :p).