The Smiths Aerospace and University of Florida robotic vehicle; navigational technology currently used on land to be tested 'unmanned' in the DARPA Grand Challenge. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Grand Challenge is an endurance race across the Mojave Desert in which unmanned, fully autonomous ground vehicles must drive themselves 175 miles through challenging terrain and natural and man-made obstacles. The team whose vehicle finishes the designated route most quickly and within a 10-hour timeframe wins a $2 million prize and the potential to help the U.S. government overhaul its combat fleet.

Smiths, title sponsor of Team CIMAR, is participating in the contest to further develop the navigational technologies it currently provides on the military's Sentinel, Avenger, Humvee and M1A2 manned vehicle platforms. The U.S. Army has said that by 2015, it expects at least 30 percent of the land vehicles it purchases to be fully autonomous.

"We believe that accurate, autonomous navigation and robotic technologies are vital to the future success of civil and military transport," said John Alber, vice president of engineering development at Smiths Aerospace. "With the practical experience we're gaining through DARPA's contest and a growing roster of customers coming to us for our navigational and UAV expertise, Smiths Aerospace is well-positioned to serve this emerging market."

Smiths is approaching the navigational challenges of the DARPA Grand Challenge differently than its competitors. While other teams have equipped their vehicles with pricey navigational technologies used for aerial combat, Smiths has opted for a low cost inertial navigation system integrated with a precision GPS receiver that is well suited for navigating desert terrain, yet is a fraction of the cost of ring laser-based systems.

"It just makes sense to use technologies that successfully get the job done, yet do so in a cost-effective way," Alber said. "With the dual responsibility of being a leading-edge technology provider and also the steward of our customers' resources, Smiths works to employ this strategy in everything we do - including our role on the NaviGATOR."

Team CIMAR was selected as one of only 43 semifinalists (out of 200 teams) to continue qualification rounds for the final Grand Challenge race. Qualifying events take place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5 at the California Motor Speedway, and will determine the final set of 20 teams to compete in the final event on October 8.

"After dedicating thousands of hours to building and testing a new robot for this year's contest, we are confident Team CIMAR is a formidable competitor in this year's contest," said Dave Armstrong, project manager of Team CIMAR. "Smiths Aerospace's North Finding Module is the heart of the NaviGATOR vehicle and provides the critical advantage to completing the course. The team is thrilled to have made it this far and is grateful for the generous support and guidance we've received from Smiths Aerospace."

Other Team CIMAR members include Autonomous Solutions, Inc., of Utah and The Eigenpoint Co., of Florida. To track Team CIMAR's progress, please visit http://cimar.mae.ufl.edu/grand_challenge.

About CIMAR

Founded in the 1970s, the Center for Intelligent Machines and Robotics (CIMAR) is an interdisciplinary research group centered in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. CIMAR aims to be a leading center for interdisciplinary basic and applied research related to the many aspects of robotics. Specific research strengths include: hardware/software system development; three dimensional geometry and kinematic analysis of robotic systems; screw theory as applied to position and force control of robot manipulators; real-time computer graphics simulation; integration of computer systems.

Team CIMAR is a collaborative team of academia and industry, working to develop autonomous ground vehicle subsystems in order to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The team participated in the inaugural 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge in March 2004 and now is one of 43 teams that have been accepted to participate in the next event to be held on 8 October 2005.

About Smiths Aerospace

Smiths Aerospace, a part of Smiths Group plc, is a leading transatlantic aerospace systems and equipment company, with more than 10,000 employees and $2 billion revenues globally. The company holds key positions in the supply chains of all major military and civil aircraft and engine manufacturers and is a world-leader in digital systems, electrical power, mechanical systems, engine components and customer services.

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