The Great Robot Race
I'm starting to like folding laundry; it's the only time I get to watch TV.
Last night was Nova's coverage of the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, in which teams raced totally autonomous SUVs 130 miles across the Mojave desert trails, tunnels, and winding passes. Four finished the course. In 2004's inaugural Challenge, none made it past (I think they said) 7 miles, though in all fairness to the guy who taught a motorcycle to drive itself, he was so exhausted he forgot to turn on the stabilization system. Nova's site has the hour-long show available in chapters.
Our commuting days are numbered. So are our top-of-the-food-chain days but that's a small price to pay for no commute. I just hope I have nice robot masters.
Last night was Nova's coverage of the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, in which teams raced totally autonomous SUVs 130 miles across the Mojave desert trails, tunnels, and winding passes. Four finished the course. In 2004's inaugural Challenge, none made it past (I think they said) 7 miles, though in all fairness to the guy who taught a motorcycle to drive itself, he was so exhausted he forgot to turn on the stabilization system. Nova's site has the hour-long show available in chapters.
Our commuting days are numbered. So are our top-of-the-food-chain days but that's a small price to pay for no commute. I just hope I have nice robot masters.
posted by jim at 3/29/2006 12:05:00 PM
2 Comments:
I for one welcome our new Maximum Overdrive masters.
http://tinyurl.com/nk9ma
They haven't taken over yet, and ALREADY you're kissing their metal asses...
I'll recant that statement under minimal robot torture, I'm sure.
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