DARPA Grand Challenge

All you must do to win $1 million is to get a vehicle to drive itself 200 miles from Barstow, Calif. to Las Vegas. Sound easy? The qualifying round of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge showed the feat is anything but.

Let there be no mistake, the technology gained from this event will be used in military autonomous vehicles in future wars. The purpose of DARPA is to jumpstart the private sector into solving military problems. Most of these projects have "spillover" into the commercial world.

Palos Verdes High School Doom Buggy, notice the damage to the bumper. It drove into the restraining wall separating the track and reporters.

The qualification obstacle course, at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., attracted 25 participating teams from universities and private firms. Many vehicle types were used, ranging from modified Acura SUVs to customized go-karts. The teams that complete the qualification course can then participate in the actual race held later in March.