Press Release: October 3, 2007

Scottsdale, AZ - The Department of Defense project agency DARPA recently announced the 36 semi-finalist teams for the 2007 Urban Challenge. Over the weekend of October 26-31. these teams will compete in the National Qualification Event (NQE), where the resulting top 20 teams will move on to the Urban Challenge, scheduled for November 31, 2007.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense(DoD). The DARPA website states “The DARPA Urban Challenge is an autonomous vehicle research and development program with the goal of developing technology that will keep warfighters off the battlefield and out of harm’s way.”

One of the 36 semifinalists is Team OshKosh. representing The OshKosh Truck Corporation, a company recognized for design and manufacturing of the “world’s toughest specialty trucks and truck bodies”. Team OshKosh will be racing its rugged Terramax™ Truck in the Urban Challenge. The TerraMax™ is an unmanned ground vehicle that demonstrates basic unmanned navigation and traffic skills including reading intersection situations, route planning and passing stationary vehicles.

Digital Systems Engineering's (DSE) AWM15VR monitor is mounted inside the cab of the Terramax™. The rugged display is used for execution control and status display for Oshkosh's iVMS (Intelligent Vehicle Management System) software. The rugged AWM15VR is a 15.1” sunlight readable flat panel display that is engineered to operate under unusually harsh and extreme weather conditions. DSE is a design-build manufacturer of rugged computers and sealed monitors for industries such as: aerospace, food processing, heavy equipment, logistics, military, pharmaceuticals, public safety and service and utilities.

Related Articles:
Driverless truck heads out for military duty - Arizona Republic, 10-2-07
Robots to Race in Suburbia - MSNBC, 8-9-07

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