Well, by now the DARPA Urban Challenge should be underway.  As of Nov. 2nd, 24 teams had been eliminated, leaving just 11 participants to make the 6-hour, 60-mile (that’s 96km for you metric-lovers out there).  The challenges:  navigating an urban setting without running over any humans (yes, that’s a rough summary, but the rules on the DARPA site are in pdf form, which locks up my computer – thanks, Adobe!)

The ultimate goal is to have a computer system that can run a supply convoy autonomously, merging in and out of traffic and navigating intersections.  Last year, Stanford U.’s team took home the first prize.