Tomorrow Next

As if the resounding success of the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge wasn’t enough. DARPA is back again with 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge scheduled for the November in which autonomous vehicles will have to navigate a simulated urban environment complete with traffic, intersections, and a variety of obstacles. The 2005 challenge pushed the boundaries of what was deemed possible advancing the autonomous vehicle technology in to the realm of the viable. The 2007 event promises to promote technology which will bring commercial self-driving vehicles within reach.

Stanford’s Stanley entry won the 2005 competition, and four other vehicles managed to complete the 132-mile desert course in under 10 hours. Stanford is back this year with Junior.

Automobile manufactures including GM, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Honda are already moving to bring this type of technology to market. The introduction of the autonomous vehicle promises as fundamental a shift in the urban landscape as the original automobile ushered in more than a century ago.

When will we see a commercially available autonomous vehicle for sale somewhere in the world? My prediction 5-7 years.

via Engadget