...Morales GS1140 Tuesday 7:20pm Instructor K. Fitch October 7, 2014 The DARPA project The DARPA headquarters was founded the year of 1958 in Arlington, Virginia by our very own president Dwight D Eisenhower. They have a total of 240 employees, and has an annual budget of 2.8 billion. DARPA stands for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. That is not the information I want to bring to your attention. The information I want you to know is about the DARPA challenge (The driverless car). From what I researched, the purpose of this vehicle is to travel into disasters that human engineering couldn’t bear to enter. The driverless vehicle must perform thee various tasks: 1. Drive a utility vehicle at the site.2. Travel dismounted across rubble.3. Remove debris blocking an entryway.4. Open a door and enter a building.5. Climb an industrial ladder and traverse an industrial walkway.6. Use a tool to break through a concrete panel.7. Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe.8. Connect a fire hose to a standpipe and turn on a valve. I personally think it is impossible to build, for the simple fact that I would not even know where to start. While writing this essay, I was thinking of ways to engineer such a vehicle. I couldn’t come up with no analysis to such a challenge, then it hit me. What was said in the article I what Mr. Fitch been teaching us all along. The lesson of the original challenge [DARPA Grand Challenge - driverless cars] is that persistence pays. It’s important...
Words: 328 - Pages: 2
...DARPA Challenge The define problem in this challenge is building an autonomous vehicle capable of traversing 175 miles off road in the desert in less than 10 hours. There are many major problems and obstacles in this challenge that could happen. There can be over heating in the electrical equipment and the engines, and also traction control. Also some obstacles that could be faced are some landscape problems such as all the sand and dirt in the desert, also traction control can be an issues. The group thinks that speed limit you would need to go to complete the course in the allotted time would range from 20mph to 30mph. In consideration you would also have to think about the course and its problems. Such as all the wild life that the vehicle would come across, also anther thing to think about is all the stops and turns in the route and the conditions of the landscape. In this challenge the vehicle wouldn’t be going a constant speed, so you would have to keep that in mind. Some strategies to avoid problems and obstacles that you can take to mind is modifying your vehicle by putting four wheel drive, cooling systems for all the electronics that produce heat, putting in a GPS system, putting in sensors and cameras also reducing the weight of the vehicle. The disadvantages of the route information that we would be receiving would be no exact route. The route would be in the middle of the desert so there for there are no roads. Anther disadvantage is the vehicle is only limited...
Words: 342 - Pages: 2
...Unit 1 Assignment1: DARPA Challenge 1. How would you define this problem? What are the major problem components, and what obstacles do you foresee? -Finding a way to operate through an unknown course with no interaction by the builders. Weather, equipment failure and unknown terrain changes could all become obstacles that will hinder the ability to finish the race on time. 2. How fast do you need to go to complete the course in the allotted time? -An average speed of 17.5 MPH would be acceptable. Top speed should be somewhere around 50 MPH if conditions are good enough to do so. 3. What is the fallacy of considering the above average speed – what do you need to consider? -Exceeding above a nice steady speed of 17.5 MPH places more risks with unknown weather and road conditions. You would need to consider the forecast for the day and road conditions to match. 4. What strategies can you use to avoid obstacles -Radar, GPS, cameras to detect obstacles around the vehicle and Ladar. 5. What are some disadvantages of the route information you receive, in terms of the vehicle driving the route? -Not knowing the distance between 1 GPS location and the other, and not knowing if the coordinates given are going in a straight path or curving off to one side or the other. 6. What strategies can you use to prepare your vehicle for the route once you receive the information? -If possible the best thing to do would be to try and pre-determine what path the vehicle is taking...
Words: 322 - Pages: 2
...Adrian Bebura | Huy Do| Nicholas Jordan GS1140-Assignment 1: DARPA Challenge How would you define this problem? What are the major problem components, and what obstacles do you for see? * Terrain/weather conditions (Unexpected bumps / road damage, majority of which is out of our control, but we will work around them by equipping the vehicle properly) * Vehicle (Making sure the vehicle has proper gear and can withstand terrain/weather conditions) * Route (Tunnel shutting out equipment for navigation, turns, off course) How fast do you need to go to complete the course in the allotted time? It takes 17.5 mph to finish 175 miles in 10 hours but considering the obstacles, turns, and weather/terrain conditions we can boost it to 19 mph giving us an estimated finish time of 9:12:37 What is the fallacy of considering the above average speed- what you need to consider? * Turns from mountain passes will cause the vehicle to slow down * Weather conditions such as rain, dust storms and heat could cause the vehicle to wither and slow down * Road hazards / obstacles such as holes in the ground causing vehicle to get stuck, rocks that may block the vehicle What strategies can you use to avoid obstacles? * Scanner systems (RADAR, LIDAR, GPS) for tracking, routing and incoming obstacle detection * 4 wheel drive letting the car maneuver faster and run smoother off road * Vehicle suspension with added aerodynamic side skirts/ from heavy...
Words: 479 - Pages: 2
...called the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) within the Department of Defense to compete with the USSR’s advancements in technology. Soon the Advanced Research Projects Agency became the leader in science and computer technology. Later, in 1962 Paul Baran of the RAND Corporation was hired by the U.S. Air Force to do a study in order to find a network that could be used as a military defensive strategy in response to a nuclear military attack. Baran's finished document described several ways to accomplish this. His final proposal was a packet switched network. Between 1968 and 1972 the BBN had control of a contract awarded to them by the Advanced Research Projects Agency later renamed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). BBN had hubs in 4 relatively close University on the west coast including University of California Santa Barbara, University of Utah, University of California Los Angeles, and Stanford University. These schools were all connected with a...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. government agency administered by the Department of Defense. It was established in 1958, in reaction to the successful launch of Sputnik by the USSR, as the Advanced Research Projects Agency. Although DARPA is only one of many military agencies administering research and development funds, it has been crucial to the development of several important technologies, especially military computers and the Internet. It funds a high percentage of all artificial intelligence research in the United States, as well as significant projects in microelectronics, materials, and behavioral science.[1] DARPA's mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from threatening our national security. DARPA programs focus on high-risk research with that will have payoffs that could provide dramatic advances in military capabilities. Each DARPA office manages a large portfolio of programs.[3] DARPA’s original mission, inspired by the Soviet Union beating the United States into space with Sputnik,[2] was to prevent technological surprise. This mission has evolved over time. Today, DARPA’s mission is to prevent technological surprise for us and to create technological surprise for our adversaries. [2] By focusing on high-risk research that could provide dramatic advances in military capabilities, DARPA maintain its mission which is to prevent any new technological attack from any...
Words: 1534 - Pages: 7
...THE INTERNET Although you may already be familiar with its popular designation as the “information superhighway”, the Internet is usually a collection of computers, connected to a variety of means, to share information across vast distances. The Internet is what called a metanetwork, that is, a network of networks that spans the globe. It's impossible to give an exact count of the number of networks or users that comprise the Internet, but it is easily in the thousands and millions respectively. The Internet is also what we call a distributed system; there is no central archive. Technically, no one runs the Internet. HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT • In early 1970 – Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA) of United States sponsored a research project that will design and develop an advanced mechanism for facilitating the flow of information between distributed computers. • Advance Research Project Agency (ARPA) funded the initial creation of the packet-switched network called the ARPANet. • Several other universities started joining the ARPANet and it reached a point when it had to be divided into two parts: 1. MILNet – for the military 2. ARPANet – for the non-military • By mid 1980’s – ARPANet had grown to more than 200 linked network with thousand of computers. • Recognizing the potential of ARPANet, a major network of research, education, and communication, the National Science Foundation (NSF) developed the NSFNet. • Different backbone...
Words: 265 - Pages: 2
...Darpa Challenge When creating a vehicle such as the one mentioned in this challenge, a lot of thought and consideration has to be accounted for. First the vehicle has to be able to travel at least 175 miles in 10 hours, the first thing that should be noted is the gas mileage. There are no gas station in the dessert so it has to have a fuel efficient way of traveling. The next obstacle established in the challenge is the terrain the higher-quality graded dirt with winding rocky-mountain passes and a tunnel. So, there’s loose dirt mountains and a tunnel all things that can cause the vehicle to lose grip of it terrain, lose control of the direction it wishes to go and also one’s sense of direction as though the location is a dessert and everything better much looks the same for miles. The last major obstacle pointed out in the challenge is the various speed limits which in turn could hinder the time of arrival if too many mistakes are made during the race. With using a combination of speeds ranging from 5-50mph the driver would have to travel at the least 17.5 miles in one hour using those speed limits. The fallacy of considering the average speed posted in the challenge is that there could be lots of wind the day of the race that is one does not carefully drive could easily be blown of track driving on that loose dirt. Ways of preparing the vehicle for this race would be to if possible find shortcuts or detours that guide us around the dangerous obstacles and also help us to...
Words: 355 - Pages: 2
...Abstract If it was not for certain technological advances with reference to computers much of the global business community would not able conduct business and produce products. In all aspects of business, ethics and morals have to be the foundation but where the rubber hits the road, business etiquette will aid in maintaining high job satisfaction and keep customers coming back. With the vast majority of business operations having a foothold in technology there is a severe need for e-etiquette. What is Driving Technology in Business? In today’s era of business there would be a severe lack of production if the power goes out. With the advancement’s and availability of computer technology in business, there has been a significant shift in the way day-to-day business operations are conducted. The introduction of the computer and data processing capability to the business world transformed the workplace. Unlike the traditional typewriter, the computer brought with it the ability to easily store and correct documents without having unsightly spots of “white-out”. The usage and utilization of computers, computer systems and information technology (IT) applications in every aspect of business is now routine. Wide-ranging means of connecting to and access technologies with computing interfaces expedite communication between employees and with business partners, suppliers, customers, or other stakeholders. With the plethora of software, production...
Words: 2949 - Pages: 12
...Main points of the Article: • Authors explains about ‘The Internet of things’ • What you need to know • Explain the basics of the Internet of things • How Internet connects millions of gadgets and people • How Internet has shifted the lives of people today • How microchip shares data online without much human interference • The writer comments, the good and the bad of this technology • How internet is accessible from anywhere • Huge amount of information can be accessed to make important decision. • Author talks about, how the chief Guru of Internet takes advantage of the Internet in his house. Summary of the Article: The Internet of Things In the article, “The Internet of Things” by Patrick Goss, dated 4 December 2013, comments this is an expression used by almost everyone in today’s world, and frankly horrible, and for sure we are going to hear about this expression more and more in the coming years. So the question is what is this all about? At its basic, the Internet is connected to millions of gadgets and devices whether we know it or not, that do not require humans to tell what data to share. Everything from writing a simple mail to your friend or operating huge complex machine from a remote location. For example, the author mentions, fitness band, smart thermostat, door sensors, sensor water faucets, micro chipped street lights, whether conditions, can all be controlled. The Author gives a few examples, a) How to detect street lighting problems...
Words: 412 - Pages: 2
...Darpa Challenge The problem is creating a vehicle with good handling on dirt and in heat without compromising speed and gas efficiency. I will not know how many way points there would be, and the degree of mobility that would be needed or weight/ height limits we may encounter. We have a general idea of the terrain but we do not have full information on it. I am looking at a speed limit of 20-25 miles per hour. It is assuming that the majority of the course does not happen on trails with set speed limits below 15 miles per hour. When considering the speed limit, I took into account possible tire changes, rest room breaks, breaks to re hydrate and eat, and slower portions of the course such as turns or unstable terrains and unexpected stops. Keeping a smaller vehicle design will help with turns, gas consumption, weight/height/width restrictions on the course, Using a general all terrain tire will help with most terrain that maybe encountered. Learning strategies for driving in a dessert such as, releasing a certain amount of air from a tire helps with traction in sand. Having a spare set of tires, as well as specialized tires for extreme terrain. It will be hard to fully prepare the vehicle for maneuverability and driver safety if we are unsure of what kind route the driver has to take. A straight route with few turns would not need a roll cage, where as tight turns or going along side a plateau would require one which adds weight. We can prepare tires accordingly, adjust...
Words: 329 - Pages: 2
...Essay A driverless car, also known as a self-driving car is an autonomous car which can perform the actions of the human being, as if a man were driving a traditional car. We can say that the car is independent of the human as the car only needs to be programmed with the destination. The mechanical part of the vehicle is held by the car its own. Moreover, to function, the car has some specific technology, for example laser, radar, GPS and computer vision. An example of an approved case of self-driving cars can be Google’s. In 2011 the state of Nevada was the first jurisdiction in the United States to pass a law concerning the operation of driverless cars. This law was turned into effect by March 2012 and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles gave the first license for a self-driven car in May 2012. This license was given to Google’s car which was in this case a Toyota Prius. Google got involved with this issue as it is trying to develop technology for driverless vehicles. In addition, the project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the co-inventor of Google Street View. To develop this system, Google also had to hire 15 engineers. This topic about self-driving cars involves also other issues such as hardware and software, social and ethical issues and the social impact. As regards hardware and software involved, it integrates Google Maps with various hardware sensors and artificial...
Words: 656 - Pages: 3
...objects on the road, which is very useful in planning a path to the desired destination. Google’s self-driving car is any in a range of autonomous cars, developed by Google X as part of its project to develop technology for mainly electric cars. The software installed in Google's cars is called Google Chauffeur. Lettering on the side of each car identifies it as a "self-driving car". The project was formerly led by Sebastian Thrun, former director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View. Thrun's team at Stanford created the robotic vehicle Stanley which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and its US$2 million prize from the United States Department of Defense. The team developing the system consisted of 15 engineers working for Google, including Chris Urmson, Mike Montemerlo, and Anthony Levandowski who had worked on the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges. In 2009 the driverless Audi TTS set a new world speed record for...
Words: 582 - Pages: 3
...physical human input. It is a project developed by Google Company that involves the development of technology in automated vehicles mostly the electric type of vehicles. The software responsible for the management of the vehicle in its operations is the Google chauffeur. The project is under the management of a Google engineer Sebastian Thrun. He is an experienced engineer who previously worked for the former director in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. In addition, he previously worked as a co-inventor of the Google Street view. The development of the robotic vehicle was first showcased in 2005 in the DARPA Grand Challenge where it won the award. There was an able team of 15 engineers who developed the system in collaboration with the Google Company. Some included Chris Urmson, Mike Montemerlo and lastly Anthony Levandowski, involved in the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges (Thrun, 2010). In the technological point of view, the automated Google vehicles comprise of parts and equipment that are worth 150000 dollars inclusive of the 70000 dollars for the LiDAR system. It possesses a range finder strategically placed on the top part of the vehicle called the Velodyne 64-beam type of laser. The purpose of the laser is to allow the vehicle to be in a position to generate a comprehensive 3D map of its surrounding. The vehicle takes the generated maps and puts them together with the high-resolution maps making them produce various types of models of data that...
Words: 5459 - Pages: 22
...Accidents happen every day, which consists of terrifying situations in an individual’s life and there are hundreds or thousands of accidents involving automobiles. A known fact is that most number of people has no survivals as they do not get to hospital in time after their car accident. The 2010 national Automobile census, mentioned that more than 90% of reported accidents were caused by driver and less than 10% was due to outside or car problems. As the advances of technology increases, so does the danger to people. This is due to there being production of faster cars that are more powerful, therefore increasing the chances of danger. The famous futurist Norman Bell Geddes said that “Your grandchildren will snap across the entire continent in 24 hours on a new kind of highway and in a new kind of driverless car that is controlled by the push of a button," Some say his idea was what inspired the creation of the Interstate Highway System. Few years ago, the driverless cars were seen as just science fiction, an imagination that was only accomplished in movies and novels. However it is close to being a reality that will be soon experienced. Currently, technology is so close, as our cars are technologically advanced enough to be able steer themselves. Moreover, the cars can also accelerate and brake to sustain a safe driving distance from any cars ahead and also detect and avoid crashes with other cars on all the sides. With this much technology advancement, making the cars...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
