Stanford wins DARPA Grand Challenge -- and 3 others complete the course

After all the jokes that were made last year about the dismal showing of the contestants in this autonomous vehicle contest, I am amazed to see that 4 (and possibly 5) vehicles will have completed the entire course this year. To see such a dramatic turn-around 1 year truly shows the possibilities of what can be done in this world.

A year ago I wrote,

"While some critics have claimed that the race was a complete failure, I personally believe that we need to push ourselves sometimes in the search for new knowledge. All the systems included in these autonomous vehicles had been tested in the lab, but sometimes you have to try and make it work in the real world. I think they should hold the race each year until it is won, and then develop and even more difficult goal. The knowledge that was gained during the preparation and running of this challenge was immense and should not be demeaned just because no one completed the course."

Somehow I knew, even then, that my faith in human ingenuity was not misplaced. Congratulations to all the teams!

Link: DARPA Grand Challenge Web Site