On October 8th, twenty robots will race 150 miles across the Mojave Desert. The winner will take home a $2 million (USD) prize. The "Grand Challenge" is a sequel to last year's Pentagon-sponsored race, which did not have a winner - none of the fifteen robotic contestants crossed the finish line. Forty robots have made the early cut from over 200 applicants. Semi-finals in September will narrow the field down to the final twenty for the race.
The real kicker is that the robots must be self-navigating. No remote controls can be used to get them across the desert and around various barriers and obstacles. The race is part of the Pentagon's efforts to have one-third of all ground vehicles unmanned by 2015.
Big money and Prizes
