Center for Applied Research & Technology
at BSC to enter
DARPA’s “Urban Challenge” in 2007 

( Bluefield)— CART is getting ready for another “Grand Challenge.”  The Center for Applied Research and Technology (CART) at Bluefield State College will enter the Defense Applied Research Projects Agency (DARPA) 2007 Grand Challenge.  The Department of Defense-sponsored, named the “DARPA Urban Challenge,” will feature autonomous ground vehicles executing simulated military supply missions safely and effectively in a mock urban area.

A year ago, an autonomous ground vehicle (“Scorpion-fox”) outfitted by Team CART of BSC, working alongside Preferred Chassis Fabrication, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona advanced through six rounds of qualifying in the DARPA event, advancing from the original field of more than 200 entrants, making it to the final 48 teams and moving to within one round of earning a spot in the Grand Challenge, a 200-mile race through a rugged desert & mountain course that tested the vehicles’ ability to independently navigate themselves through and around a variety of terrain challenges.

The 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge will take place in a yet to be disclosed urban setting, adding another dimension to the event.  “We’re certainly looking forward to this new event,” noted CART Director Bruce Mutter.  “In the past, we’ve lacked the financial resources of many DARPA teams, but we’ve still been able to combine ingenuity and creativity to more than hold our own with the best industrial and academic organizations in the Grand Challenge.  Additionally, the competition is an inspiring ‘real world’ applied research experience for our students and helps them visualize the limitless potential for their future careers in engineering technology.”

Mutter also noted that many BSC student teams consisting of engineering technology and computer science teams, working under the direction of Professor Robert Riggins have developed senior projects that yield concepts and data that can be used in this year’s DARPA “Urban” Grand Challenge.

DARPA will award prizes for the top three autonomous ground vehicles that compete in a final event where they must safely complete a 60-mile urban course in fewer than six hours.  First prize is $2 million.  To succeed, vehicles must autonomously obey traffic laws while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles.

May 8, 2006