Control Engineering

Paul Grayson

Halloween in Victorville
October 31, 2007

Moria Fredrickson of Team Oshkosh Truck sent me this picture of The University of Central Florida’s Knight Rider in its cardboard and duct tape “mini-Max”  Halloween costume.  AIM Team member Linda Graham phoned in from Victorville, CA to say that the costumed car made its way around the course mimicking TerraMax complete with TM's characteristic growling/grinding sound and signature “War of the Worlds” theme song which delighted the crowd.  Team Oshkosh Truck brought their TeraMax out onto the course to confront the imposter - as if to say "we could crush you if we wanted to".  

At 11-feet tall and 12-tons, TerraMax is one of the most striking vehicles in the challenge.  The two teams, who have spent many late nights during the last week practicing together in a stadium parking lot, shared a laugh together.  

Linda's impression is that she and Tom are the only reporters that are assigned full time to the story of the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge.   If that turns out to be the fact, I am glad that we at AIM have been able to do this for the teams and the race.  Now all we have to do is raise the rest of the money needed to cover the cost of sending them.  Anyone got all or part of the $1,250 they would like to chip in?

Some of the disqualified teams have gone and will be watching the webcast of the race from home.  Linda said that it was sad to see the empty spots in the pit area that disqualified teams have vacated.   She and Tom were starting to regard the members of the teams that they have spent so much time with as new friends.  

Each team has poured many man-years into developing unmanned ground vehicles and there are more teams to be cut from the list.  The remaining teams are waiting for the announcement on Thursday to hear if they have been selected to participate in Saturday’s Urban Challenge Event or have been eliminated. It is all part of the process of narrowing the field down, ultimately to the final three: first, second and third place.

Today was another good day at the elimination trials, Happy Halloween.

GO ROBOTS !

Posted by Paul Grayson on October 31, 2007 | Comments (0)