USAO to represent Oklahoma in national robot race
Led by Dr. John K. Johnson, a team representing the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha hopes to compete in the third Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Grand Challenge using a completely autonomous vehicle.
Johnson is a scientist and teaches computer science at USAO.
The grand challenge is designed to have hand-modified robotic vehicles traverse through 60 miles of city streets and interact with traffic and signals while obeying state driving laws without the help of a human driver or global positioning system. It’s part of a mandate established by United State Congress calling for 400,000 robot-driven military vehicles on the road by 2015.
DARPA representatives will be in Chickasha on June 27 to evaluate USAO’s team. USAO is the only university in Oklahoma that applied for the Urban Challenge.
Fifty-three teams have been selected to receive site visits this month. Site visits are vehicle capability tests attended by DARPA officials. DARPA will select semi-finalists based on each vehicle’s performance at the site visit and an assessment of the team’s technical paper.
If selected, USAO’s team — called Team Nova — will compete in the Urban Challenge on Nov. 3.
The winning team receives $2 million. Second place receives $1 million and third place receives $500,000.
Team Nova has started the conversion process of a 2002 Ford Escape. Team members have gutted the vehicle’s interior and installed equipment racks, hardware for operating steering, gas, brakes, cameras, sonar equipment and laser radar.
Team Nova is comprised of a crew hand-picked by Johnson. Each member is a USAO current student or recent graduate.
Nearly 200 teams across the world applied for the Urban Challenge, with 89 making the first cut.
“Johnson’s extraordinary research and his long commitment to classroom teaching and involving students at every level is an amazing story. (Team Nova’s) selection by DARPA isn’t surprising and its work has gained national attention before. Its breakthrough research is taking place Oklahoma’s public liberal arts college; not at a research giant. That’s amazing,” USAO President John Feaver said.
Team Nova vehicle and crew
Brian Sargent
Staff Writer
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