WIRED Staff
Culture

Slideshow: Now That's Quite a Challenge

Competitors in this weekend's Darpa Grand Challenge will try to do what the Pentagon's brightest minds have never done: Get a robot to drive itself across the desert for more than 200 miles. Noah Shachtman reports from Ontario, California.
Image may contain Human Person Transportation Vehicle and Truck
A member of Team TerraMax, one of 25 teams accepted to compete, is uncertain if anyone will finish the Darpa Challenge on the first attempt.

See related story: Now That's Quite a Challenge

Image may contain Human Person Transportation Vehicle Truck and Tractor
Despite their armor, the robotic Darpa drones are not invincible. Even Sandstorm -- the Carnegie Mellon University multimillion-dollar, pilotless Humvee that's the envy of most of the other teams here -- limped to the track after a near-death experience just a few days ago.
Image may contain Furniture Chair Human and Person
Team Phantasm, the first squad scheduled for qualification and inspection by Darpa officers Monday, had a sensor breakdown and missed its chance to qualify. The team will have another chance Tuesday.
Image may contain Pants Clothing Apparel Human Person Vehicle Transportation Jeans Denim Wheel Machine and Tire
A.I. Motorvator, a handcrafted, wedge-shaped drone, has had its share of false starts.