The media has latched on to the fact that a Volkswagen Touareg beat out two Hummers, a Ford Escape Hybrid and a monster truck at the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. While it was the artificial intelligence developed by the Stanford team that excelled, it is ironic that the winner is a favorite vehicle among the Birkenstock-clad, treehugging, granola-eating, soccer mom set.
“Mojave? Pffft, if it wasn’t done with teenagers, then it was no challenge at all.”
Actually, teenagers were present. DARPA spin doctor, Ron Kurjanowicz, tells us that several of the Stanford undergrads sat down for lunch together with half a dozen high schoolers from Palos Verdes High School in Los Angeles. On the other hand, the stock, diesel powered, Touareg RS was modified with full body skid plates and a reinforced front bumper.
“Well, maybe I could bring it in on Wednesday before dance lessons.”
Volkswagen was accepted into the Stanford team because their sponsorship included disclosing the details of their “drive-by-wire” interface.
VW has developed the means to steer the vehicle electronically. In other words, moving the steering wheel provides a signal to servos that control the direction of the tires thus steering the vehicle. Think of it as an extension to the power-assisted steering on most modern vehicles.
While certainly not the only car maker or automotive component designer to have developed advanced electronic vehicle interface technology, the VW agreement to help in sponsorship of the Stanford Racing Team included making the details of that technology open to study. This openness has paid off. Volkswagen should get a lot of kilometers out of their big win in the Mojave.
Farf?gnugen, baby, Far-effing-nugen. Now if we could avoid destroying ourselves by poisoning the atmosphere, eh?
stanley side view (2005-023-040)
Originally uploaded by smadness.
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