Last weekend, four self-driving robotic vehicles from the United States successfully completed a 240km cross-country race known as the Grand Challenge through the rocky terrain of the Mojave Desert.
These autonomous vehicles navigated obstacles using a combination of global positioning systems, computers, and infrared and laser sensor technology installed in the vehicles. The Grand Challenge is held annually to promote research and development of autonomous vehicles, with the goal of eventually transporting water, fuel, and other essential supplies for the U.S. military in combat zones. This year, the organizers doubled the prize money to a remarkable $2 million. As a result, the robotic vehicle “Stanley” from Stanford University finished in first place, followed by Humvee vehicles named “H1ghlander” and “Sandstorm” from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Ford Escape Hybrid built by students from Louisiana.
H.Y (CNN, BBC)
