March 12, 2003

Drivers not wanted

Local team gears up for $1 million autonomous vehicle race

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

      Founders and members of American Industrial Magic met Saturday to continue their quest to create an autonomous vehicle that will net them a $1 million prize.
      Looking ahead to next year's DARPA Grand Challenge, a race between Los Angeles and Las Vegas next March, Paul Grayson of Traverse City and his teammates plan to build not one, but three competitive cars.
      Grayson, founder of the Robot Club of Traverse City and longtime robotics student and inventor, believes the project is both doable and winnable. He and two other team members attended the Grand Challenge conference in Los Angeles on February 22 to scope out the competition, get the latest on the rules and further their promotional and development activities. More than 400 people attended the pre-race conference, an estimated 75 percent of which were individuals searching for a team to join.
      Grayson said his experiences there only redoubled his efforts to continue gathering funds, sponsors and technical people of all stripes to help.
      "We believe that after meeting with others, that we have a good chance to win," said Grayson, who studied automation at Purdue University, graduated from Naval Nuclear Propulsion School and received a degree in Marine Engineering from Northwestern Michigan College. "We were the only ones with team jackets there."
      The race is meant to tap into Americans' love of both invention and a challenge, but a $1 million dollar prize sweetens the pie. DARPA, the sponsoring agency, hopes the Grand Challenge will further the Defense Department's search for unmanned vehicles to assist with military activities.
      However, Grayson said that organizers are fairly sure no one will win next year - something he and the team plan to disprove.
      "DARPA figures that only one out of 100 will have anything that will perform to any seriousness," he said. "It will boil down to a race between three teams and DARPA is pretty sure none are going to finish. One guy said the first 100 miles will be crucial and another guy objected and said the first 100 yards will tell the tale."
      Grayson also noted that DARPA Grand Challenge organizers already moved a planned banquet to showcase the participating vehicles from after the race to before.
      "They were worried there would be nothing to display after the race but wreckage," he said.
      The American Industrial Magic team is undaunted by such pessimism. They have already rounded up members trained in security, neural networks, wireless communications, electronics and motor repair, marketing and robotics. With an off-road portion of the race spanning 250 desert miles, the team has their work cut out for them.
      They plan to raise $15 million and build three vehicles to enter in the race, already designated as AV-Andrea Morgan, AV-Sydney Bristow and AV-Wendy Darling. The platforms and inner workings of the vehicles will be closely guarded secrets until their debut on race day.
      "This is a great kicking off point, I was hoping to start a research and development company and this race gives me an excuse to get sponsors I wouldn't otherwise," Grayson said.