Robotic car gears up for a challenge

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 16, 2007 | by Nicole Warburton Deseret Morning News

WEST VALLEY CITY -- On its first trip down the test track, "Red Rover" did well until it hit the intersection. Instead of stopping and turning left, it began to turn in circles.

"I wonder where it's going?" Mark Minor, an associate professor in the University of Utah's Department of Mechanical Engineering, asked with a laugh.

Christopher Greco, an electrical engineering graduate student at Brigham Young University, also had a smile on his face. "One time it will work perfectly, or something will change and it will not work the next time."

About 10 minutes later, after Minor and U. graduate student Andy Hetrick adjusted some straps on Red Rover's steering wheel, the red minivan drove a perfect course on the driving range behind the West Valley City DMV. The vehicle stopped, made a U-turn, and stayed within its lane -- all without human help.

Red Rover belongs to one of four teams in the state hoping to qualify for the DARPA Urban Challenge 2007, where teams nationwide will race robotic vehicles on a 60-mile course in November. DARPA stands for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is a federal program encouraging the development of vehicles that run without human help.

DARPA challenges occurred in 2004 and 2005 but never in an urban setting. The vehicles are planned to be used by the military for combat but could also be used commercially for people who want a "smart" car to steer itself through traffic.

The location of the Urban Challenge will be announced in August, and teams must pass a series of qualifying events to participate. The Utah teams are among 53 still left in the competition.

Red Rover belongs to a University of Utah team headed by Minor and Hetrick. BYU has a team that operates a blue minivan named "Ynot." The two universities have joined to share information and techniques in preparation for the competition.

The other two teams belong to private companies: Sandy-based DesignJug and Autonomous Solutions, in Logan. DesignJug was a semifinalist in a 2005 DARPA challenge and donated cars and equipment to both BYU and the U. DesignJug also wants to make Utah a site for further testing of autonomous vehicles or cars that run without humans.

Minor said designing and testing the U.'s car has been "one of the funnest projects we've had in years."

"It's helpful for students in terms of getting high-tech jobs," he said. "The tools are applicable to a broad range of projects."

To make a car run autonomously or without human help, requires a complicated mix of computers, sensors, lasers and even sonar. Red Rover has a laser attached to its front that can scan up to 240 feet within a 180-degree arc. On the van's roof is a camera and a series of small boxes that emit sonar.

The laser and sonar help the vehicle judge when there's an obstacle in its path, such as another car or stop sign. Three computers located in the back of the van interpret data from the laser and sonar and then direct the car to stop or turn. The camera is used as a back-up system if the laser doesn't work.

Inside the car, a robotic arm is mounted to the steering wheel. Other robotic cords and cables attach to the brakes, gas and wheels, and when directed by the computer, they will cause the wheel to turn, or the break pedal to go down.

During the DARPA challenge, teams will be given a set of directions to program into their computer, maybe five minutes before the race starts, according to Jared Roberts, a mechanical engineering undergraduate at the U. Using the directions, the teams must navigate a course and be able to recognize if something is blocking their path. The first to finish, wins.

When asked how his team would fare in the competition, Roberts was optimistic. "The fact we have gotten as far as we have is amazing," he said.

For more information, log on to www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge.> E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com