DARPA Grand Challenge update #2: A chat with Team Mojavaton

A $150,000 guide

Making our way to the back of Xboxx, we saw that the trunk area was kept clean with all the cables labeled and held back with straps and ties. While some of the team members resisted organizing the cables, Peck said, cooler heads prevailed and the result is impressive. The team doesn't have to spend 30 minutes looking for an unlabelled loose wire in a mangled mess, which is something some of the other teams are dealing with.

The most expensive part of Xboxx is not the Windows XP license, but a $150,000 3D laser mapping system. Unfortunately a few weeks ago, it started developing problems and was pulled from the vehicle. The inertial navigation system helps to steer the vehicle after the GPS signal is lost. On the qualification course, all vehicles must enter a plywood enclosed tunnel that supposedly kills GPS signals. While many of the parts are very expensive, Peck said that the team had donations and financial help from the private industry.

One possible advantage of teams funded by the private industry is project management experience, the skill of keeping deadlines and managing the team. The Mojovaton team held meetings every Tuesday and believes that their industry experience and small size will help them win the race. "The total team consists of 8 people. We are a small and effective group that can make changes quickly."

Team Mojavaton did not compete in last year's Grand Challenge, but Peck said they did study why many of the vehicles failed. Peck thinks that many of the teams overcomplicated things by adding too many sensors. His motto is "simple elegance and doing things without overkill." Even though Xboxx completed the course, Peck says that there is much work to still be done. "We did a clean run the first time, but we know we can do better."