| It may sound like a science fair project but it is | | | | Thrun said the project may pave the way for a |
| not. Engineers at Stanford University are testing | | | | future in which self-driving cars will make |
| an unmanned robotic car to navigate urban race in | | | | transportation safer for those who, like the |
| less than one year. The car is also built to | | | | elderly, might rather ride than drive. "By 2030, we |
| challenge both intersections and right of way. | | | | should be able to deploy this technology on |
| "Junior," a 2006 Volkswagen Passat wagon, is the | | | | highways reliably," he said. |
| latest entry in the renowned road race sponsored | | | | Thrun said he expected a battlefield version of |
| by the Defense Advanced Research Projects | | | | the car to be available as early as 2015. "To be |
| Agency (DARPA), the Department of Defense's | | | | able to understand your environment, predict |
| research and development arm. The robotic car | | | | what happens next and be able to react when |
| from Stanford will compete in the DARPA Urban | | | | something goes slightly wrong - that is the most |
| Challenge, the agency's so-called most challenging | | | | challenging," said Stanford research engineer Mike |
| derby. | | | | Montemerlo. |
| "These cars are driven by artificial intelligence," | | | | Driving in the city is a different environment. It |
| said Sebastian Thrun, a computer science and | | | | does not only require robotic cars to detect |
| electrical engineering professor at Stanford, who | | | | obstacles, they must make sense of them. |
| unveiled his plans for Junior this week at the | | | | Engineers at the Volkswagen of America |
| annual meeting of the American Association for | | | | Electronics Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif. |
| the Advancement of Science which was held in | | | | have upgraded the brakes and throttle of "Junior" |
| San Francisco. | | | | so as to pave the way for a high-performing race |
| Thrun and Stanford took the same path before. | | | | car. The efficiency of EBC brake rotors are |
| In the 2005 race, Stanford's entry which was | | | | considered in making the performance of the car |
| then dubbed "Stanley," won first place. But that | | | | even more breath-taking. |
| race was run in the Nevada desert. "The next | | | | "Junior" displays an array of sophisticated sensors, |
| challenge will be to drive where we live," said | | | | including a range-finding laser that provides a |
| Thrun, who spoke on a panel about the future of | | | | three-dimensional, 360-degree view of its |
| robotics. "This new generation of robots is making | | | | surroundings in near-real time. Its computer |
| the case that they can safely navigate without | | | | capabilities are four times more powerful than |
| any human assistance," added Thrun. | | | | Stanley's. To make the capabilities functional, |
| In this year's challenge, several universities in the | | | | about a dozen students, researchers and faculty |
| United States, along with their corporate partners, | | | | at Stanford worked on software to manage |
| have expressed their commitment to the race. | | | | driving tasks like mapping, perception, and planning. |
| Aside from Stanford, another renowned name | | | | The location of the 2007 race will be announced in |
| which has earlier verified its commitment to the | | | | October. The fastest car to navigate the course |
| event is the Carnegie Mellon University, which | | | | will bag $2 million. |
| finished second to Stanford in the 2005 challenge. | | | | |