Defense Department Sponsors Robot Race

Can you say funding? lol, DARPA is giving 1 million dollars away to the team that can build a robot that travels 250 miles from Anahiem CA. to Las Vegas NV the fastest. The guidelines for the race are:

1) Must be 100% Autonomous
2) The only permitted instructions start and stop
3) The robot must complete the course in under 10 hours (average 25 mph)
4) 2 hours before the race each team will receive a map of way-points. If the robot does not stay close enough the the corridor (10 feet margin of error is allowed, the same as a non-military GPS or GIS system) marked by those, it is DQ'ed.
5) 1 pit stop allowed 180 miles in, but the machines have to service themselves.
6) Land dwelling robots only (no airships)
7) As far as cost, material, weight, and size, are concerned its open season
8) Beginning next year, the race will be held every year until 2007 or until a robot can meet the rules stated above.

So far there are only 18 teams involved in the race, most from huge corporations or universities (such as Carnegie-Mellon). If you could enter a robot, what would it be like? Comments on the story?

Some site you can go to for more information are:

DARPA
Carnegie-Mellon "Red Team"

[kristen]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/fo...?s=&forumid=92

There's already a subforum dedicated to this