Oshkosh Truck Corporation announced that Team Oshkosh's TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle received an invitation from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to compete in the Urban Challenge National Qualification Event Oct. 26 ? 31, 2007. The Oshkosh TerraMax is a 4x4 medium tactical vehicle with rear steer (most resembling current military-use vehicles), a 21-ft. turning radius and a customized LIDAR (light detection and ranging) system.
The autonomous vehicle competition will be held in Victorville, Calif., the location of an urban military training facility located on the former George Air Force Base. The location and test events simulate the type of urban terrain and driving conditions American forces operate in when deployed overseas. After completion of the NQE, finalists then compete in the Urban Challenge Event to be held on Nov. 3, 2007.
The final competition includes six 10-mile urban missions for a total of 60 miles that must be safely completed within a six-hour time limit.
"The invitation demonstrates that our technology and capabilities continue to improve, and Oshkosh is once again ready to show just how close we are to making this technology a reality for our troops," said Don Verhoff, executive vice president, Corporate Engineering and Technology at Oshkosh Truck Corporation. "Events such as this provide an excellent framework for the advancement of unmanned vehicle technology - a technology that Oshkosh is passionate about to help save soldiers' lives."
At the NQE, vehicles will attempt to demonstrate advanced navigation and traffic skills including correct parking lot behavior, merging with moving traffic, appropriate vehicle separation of moving traffic, defensive driving behaviors, advanced route planning and obstacle avoidance during a traffic jam.
Team Oshkosh advanced to the NQE following a successful site visit with DARPA in June. The TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle demonstrated basic unmanned navigation and traffic skills including intersection precedence, y-turns, route planning and passing stationary vehicles. The unmanned system on TerraMax is designed as a kit that can be retrofitted onto other vehicles for commercial applications including automatic snow removal at airports, firefighting, and potentially for use in vehicles to support drivers.
DARPA will award $2 million, $1 million and $500,000 to the top three finishers of the 2007 Urban Challenge Event.
In 2004 and 2005, Oshkosh Truck participated in the DARPA Grand Challenge Events. Fifteen autonomous ground vehicles attempted the first Grand Challenge on a 142-mile desert course between Barstow, California and Primm, Nevada in March 2004. None finished the course and the $1 million cash prize was unclaimed. In October 2005, TerraMax and four other vehicles completed a 132-mile course through the Mojave Desert to simulate convoy supply routes through Iraq and Afghanistan.
Oshkosh Truck has teamed with Teledyne Scientific Company, The University of Parma in Italy, Ibeo Automobile Sensor GmbH and Auburn University to help develop these capabilities. Caterpillar, Inc. has joined Team Oshkosh as a Gold sponsor.
Via: Oshkosh Truck Corporation