- DARPA Grand Challenge 2004 - Autonomous Vehicle Race
(click images to enlarge)

Team CIMAR is from the University of Florida's Center for Intelligent Machines and Robotics. The vehicle began life as an Isuzu Trooper pulled from the junk yard. They pulled off the body panels and re-paneled it ad added the big boom in the front for their sensors. They didn't get far, but t I Included it because it looked so cool!

The "Ladybug" was also quite a piece of work. Built in a garage by a "Battle Bots" participant, it featured 4 Mat Tracks "tank treads" and an automatic self-righting mechanism in case of roll-over. Also this was the only team to allow the group of Buddhist monks to bless their entry with a gold leaf applique...but later, Ladybug had to pull out of the race.
 

Team CajunBot from Louisiana was one of the smallest entries to compete, and the only other 6 wheeler besides TerraHawk. They didn't get far, but the Good Ol' Boy running the team made a bunch of crawdads and some great gumbo for everybody when it was all over.
This was the viewing area set up at Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, Nevada. The arena featured 2 giant screen displays for the live satellite feeds and stadium seating for spectators, (the tables were for the press). The vehicles were shown leaving the starting gate in Barstow every few minutes and aerial shots fro helicopters showing the progress. This is also where the DARPA chief announced the halt of the race after about 4 hours.
The viewing area also had this great 3-D real-time map that was tied into the GPS info on all the race participants. The dimensions were about 4X8 feet and the data updated and route path were projected from 2 DLP projectors mounted overhead. It looked really great....but the icons didn't get to move all that far.

After the official halt of the race because everybody got stuck, the vehicles began to show up on trailers in the Buffalo Bill's Resort parking lot, which was very close to the official finish line. Some of the converted trucks were even able to be driven there under their own power. Everyone seemed to have a great attitude, knowing that they had exceeded DARPA's expectations foot the first race.
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