Professor Bruce Mutter, Director of the Center for Applied Research and Technology (CART) at Bluefield State College, recently returned from the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 Participants Conference in Anaheim, CA. Through a U.S. Department of Defense grant, CART has underwritten costs associated with the creation and enhancement of two successful robotic vehicles. Mutter joined other competitors’ representatives as DARPA officials discussed the Grand Challenge 2005 selection process, rules, entry requirements, and parameters of the challenge course.

DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense. DARPA’s Grand Challenge 2005 is designed to accelerate research and development of autonomous ground technology that will help save lives on the battlefield. The team that completes the Grand Challenge 2005 course in the shortest amount of time within a specified time limit will receive a $2 million prize.

“The DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 is a tremendous opportunity and a formidable challenge for our UVS program faculty, students, and industrial partners,” Mutter noted. “Our participation would raise the bar yet again, and it will stretch our resourcefulness and ingenuity. At the same time, it would enable us to observe, interact, and hopefully compete with the most technologically innovative robotics engineers in the world.”

The DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 will take place on October 8, 2005.

August 12, 2004