Unmanned vehicles finish Pentagon race

PRIMM, Nev. — Four robotic vehicles finished a Pentagon-sponsored race across the Mojave desert yesterday and achieved a technological milestone by conquering steep drop-offs, obstacles and tunnels over a rugged 132-mile course without a single human command.

The vehicles, guided by sophisticated software, gave scientists hope that robots could one day wage battles without endangering soldiers.

Stanford University's customized Volkswagen crossed first. Also finishing were a converted red Hummer named H1ghlander and a Humvee called Sandstorm from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ford Escape Hybrid customized by students in Metarie, La.

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, plans to award $2 million to the fastest vehicle to cover the race in less than 10 hours.

A winner was not immediately declared because the 23 robots left the starting line at staggered times at dawn, racing against the clock rather than each other. Stanford's entry, named Stanley, finished in less than 7 ½ hours.

Officials planned to resume the race today so the last vehicle on the course, a massive six-wheel truck, could compete in daylight.

The race is part of the Pentagon's effort to cut the risk of casualties by fulfilling a congressional mandate to have a third of all military ground vehicles unmanned by 2015.

Last year's much-hyped inaugural DARPA Grand Challenge ended without a winner when all the self-navigating vehicles broke down shortly after leaving the starting gate.

Of the 23 robots that competed yesterday, 18 vehicles failed to navigate the entire 132-mile course.