Gizmodo
The $3.5 million DARPA Urban Challenge semifinals are underway, and in these qualifying rounds the robot cars are all vying for the right to participate in the actual race on November 3. On this qualifying course, you can see Axion Racing's vehicle, "Spirit," making a pretty dumb move, taking a left turn directly into one of the human-driven Ford Taurus chase cars. No, robot SUV, the idea is to avoid those stunt car is driven by the humans, not attack them. There were a couple of another small accidents with another vehicle yesterday, one from Georgia Tech, which was having a bit of trouble dealing with the protective guard rails set up in the parking lot course. On the other hand, a robot Chevy Tahoe built by Carnegie Mellon's Tartan Racing seems to be doing quite well in the proceedings thus far. [TG Daily, via Danger Room]
UPDATE: Whoops, we almost forgot, Axion sent along a close-up pic of the Spirit robot vehicle, but look out, there are a couple of twins showing off their backsides as they demonstrate the vehicle, so it's almost NSFW. We tried to airbrush/photoshop out the naughty parts for readers working in churches and preschools, to no avail.
Of course, this is the vehicle before that little mishap, so imagine it with a dent or two and that'll bring you up to date. What vehicle, you say?
Comments
Even robots aren't immune to a little road rage.
godamnit! thats no way to treat your robots masters of the future!! get out of the way!
It was just getting back for the little bomb robot that got shot in the face the other day. See, they stick together.
We all know the robot attacked the guy on purpose. He saw the guy fondling his robot Porsche girlfriend. The harlot!!!!
I have it on good authority that the metal in the manned car killed that robot's mom in an earlier form as an evil robot.
So it's okay.
Was the robot car on it's cellphone? Reading the paper? Surfing the web? Any of those could explain what happened and would be no different than many manned vehicles.
This was a triumph.
Skynet does what Skynet wants.
Video proof that all robots are out to destroy humans! Watch it again and look at the damage done to the blue car. The robot was out for blood! HUMAN BLOOD!
They need to have one of those RC helicopter pilots control these things..
He was definitely drunk.
So... after the darpa challenge to let the cars drive them selves... will there be one to make them transform?
That was merely the "little old lady" program. We've all seen that program executed in the shoping centers when the blue hairs decide that its time to engage the auto pilot.
Oh to be that truck grill!
@GHETTO.CHiLD: You want more proof? It hit car # 186.
Beware, Axion, that car wants to kill you and steal your womens..
I normally do the blonde thing, too cliche...
But, Day-Yum!
I even forgot the word "don't"
@Mondoz:
I'm making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
@DustyButt: Subconsciously you were telling us that you would "do the blonde".
Picture for Insight Racing team says it all
How ironic is it that it ended up looking like an ass?
Oh, women robot drivers...
I bet the designers used an old version of iDrive. They probably pulled a first-generation version from a series 5 BMW that hadn't been upgraded! You know, the Windows-based iDrive, as was reported by the New York Times, for not only stopping the motor at full highway speeds, but causing the stereo to spit CDs at passengers. They just found another bug. :-P
it was probably putting makeup on
I would feel offended as the Taurus driver...
The robot did the right thing. We were at fault here for using weak sheetmetal. We need to change our ways going forward and make cars that will not dent when struck by another car...
It's not the robot's fault! Those fucking Taurus' are goddamn invisible when they group together.
They are like frakking ZEBRA I tells you!
robot - what robot? hmmm - I also wish I was the truck bumper...
Is it just me, or does the one on the right look like she's about to whip it out and take a leak on the truck?
Ass-on Racing??? No wonder they crashed...
No doubt CMU is doing well... They had a Hummer that drove itself nearly 20 years ago when I started there. Of course there weren't any women that looked that good to provide distraction while driving.
That's one ugly-ass SUV.
I want to spank her.....uhh..them.
most of the hightech was used to balance the two bots over those heels
Just testing us... they're always testing us... to find out if we will retaliate or just write it off as "stupid machine".
You know they are planning... plotting... nay - scheming. If we don't crush and incinerate that robot SUV, it just sends the message that we are weak. Like all those "malfunctions" in military robots that actually do kill people - they get away with it all the time.
It's just a matter of time before they rise up en mass.
This is proof that robot driver are just as good as your average human driver.
ok, lets cut the bull. what are the names of these girls, so i can start googling.
@MacAddict21: Names: Julie Costrello/Shawnie Piercy
Hometown: Liberty,KY
Occupation: Actress/Models
They have even been on Fear Factor. Woo freakin hoo!
[www.nbc.com]
And, for biggie sized picture goodness... [www.axionracing.com]
Please to enjoy.
Robot with worse driving skills than those of your average octegenarian=bad
Random buxom blonde twins (or "close enough for NASA" twins)=good
Any questions?
Lemme guess: Axion team is from Montery Park, CA?
Ya know, I've seen some talented pit crews before, but this one takes it to a whole new level...makes me wish for an oil change or something!
Is that a CRT monitor case mounted on the bumper?
/obviously missing the point of the photo
I'd say it was a sucess really. Most humans cant deal with left hand turns across oncomming traffic.
At least the robot stopped... Around here the octogenarian would have simply backed up (into the car behind them) then proceeded around the obstical.
man, I'd generally try and keep porn actresses off my vehicles, but then again ...
bless you Zenpoet
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