The DARPA grand challenge - autonomous ground vehicles in the desert

Abstract

The DARPA Grand Challenge 2004, the first large-scale competition of autonomous ground vehicles, was organized by DARPA in March 2004 to demonstrate the capabilities of various concepts of autonomous driving under competitive and harsh, non-cooperating environmental conditions. This “realistic” environment was found in the Mojave Desert, and the route was set from Barstow to Primm (near Las Vegas), through dirt roads and partiallyoff-road. Fifteen vehicles were admitted to this event after passing a qualification round, set up at the California Speedway in Fontana. The actual competition course was 150 miles long, but none of the vehicles finished driving the complete course – the most successful vehicle just drove 7.4 miles. However, despite this outcome, the event still is considered a success by demonstrating autonomous driving technology and showcasing a wide varietyof approaches.