National Qualification Event

November 3, 2007
THE BITTER END

TerraMax and Team Oshkosh started the day strong.  The truck left the gates confidently and drove the course performing as well as anyone could have hoped.  The truck kept up with all of the other race leaders through four of the six checkpoints of their 1st mission.  Unfortunately, that was where the day would end.  The TerraMax was stopped as it left the course and drove in the direction of a fixed structure.  Following the inevitable “pause” by DARPA, they then removed it from the race.  The team is still not sure whether hardware or software caused the path planning anomaly, and will have to wait until the vehicle is let out of quarantine by DARPA.

Overall, a valiant effort by Team Oshkosh, and the only disappointment was that the ‘bot which had been performing so well would not continue.  The pursuit and development of robotic technology will continue at Oshkosh Truck, and like a small pothole under the tire of TerraMax, the disappointment at DARPA will barely be a bump in the road.

November 1, 2007
TERRAMAX RECEIVES LICENSE TO DRIVE
Following an exuberant cheer, Team Oshkosh breathed a collective sigh of relief as team leader John Beck accepted one of the eleven invitations to Saturday’s Urban Challenge finals during the morning’s announcement ceremony. TerraMax received its official “qualifier” license plate from Dr. Tony Tether, director of DARPA who complimented the team on being the safest performer on the merging vehicle course. Team Oshkosh members celebrated the moment and congratulated one another on a job well done. Many have been working for 18 months to prepare TerraMax for the Urban Challenge, so it was a very emotional moment for most.

 After an afternoon of continued preparations at the off-site practice location, Team Oshkosh took to the streets in the early evening, as team members were granted a special preview of Saturday’s course.

October 31, 2007
THE WAITING GAME...AND MINI-MAX
After some last-minute preparations, Team Oshkosh came in early on a chilly day in the desert to prepare for their last Qualification Event test on course "B". Adding to the drama was the fact that some teams had already received their unofficial "walking papers" while others had received indications that they were already in the finals. Team Oshkosh was in neither camp, so the run on course "B" was important.

The team took a conservative approach, and the vehicle acted as they had anticipated. A couple of minor stoppages gave the impression of some problems, but actually indicated the extreme safety measures that Team Oshkosh had put in place on their 12 ton vehicle. Safety being one of DARPA's most important measures for qualification, Team Oshkosh was satisfied with their 'bot's performance.

After the test, Team Oshkosh retired to their pit to begin the wait. Minutes turned to hours, and the team continued to wait as the NQE drew to a close. DARPA will announce the final list of qualifiers tomorrow at 11 AM PDT. So it appears that Team Oshkosh will wait to have their fate levied upon them until then.

There was a moment of comic relief when the team from the University of Central Florida and their #13 car arrived in the pits. UCF brought cheers from the entire area as their vehicle pulled up to the Oshkosh pit completely outfitted as a mini version of the TerraMax, right down to a smaller version of the electric "growl" emitted by the TerraMax alarm. It will be a moment that all will remember from this Grand Challenge.

October 30, 2007
TERRAMAX DOES THE TAURUS TWO STEP WITH EASE
An evening of dance lessons at an off-site practice location paid off this morning as TerraMax performed well in test area “A”—merging successfully several times into a nearly-continual stream of Ford Taurus sedans. Team Oshkosh celebrated with pride as the truck completed eight laps of the course better than some human drivers might.

Thanks to the strong performance in the morning, DARPA officials invited TerraMax to take another opportunity at test area “C” in the afternoon. Although the team was pleased with the performance yesterday, they were eager to get another shot to improve intersection precedence. Despite a couple of hiccups, likely caused by the long shadows of late afternoon, TerraMax improved its intersection precedence for the third time in a row. With another test scheduled early in the morning, the team had little time to celebrate. They spent the evening running some final tests to tweak for Wednesday’s round at their off-site practice facility.

October 29, 2007
PRACTICE MAKES IMPROVEMENT
On a blustery afternoon in Victorville, Team Oshkosh took its second shot at area “C”, which measured TerraMax’s ability to take its turn at a residential intersection, perform ‘y’ turns and re-plan a route when a road suddenly becomes obstructed. Although TerraMax performed well during its first attempt at the course on Saturday, the team was not satisfied.  The software was reviewed, and the team went about improving on what was already considered a capable vehicle. 

Imagine turning a 22 foot, 25,000 lb truck around on the street in your neighborhood, Terramax performed the maneuver with ease.  In addition, the team was encouraged by the truck’s increased abilities at intersections and avoiding obstacles.

A noticeable point for improvement was when the truck stopped just short of the finish, believing it had completed its mission.  A quick response by the crew ensured the truck finished under the wire and will continue the pursuit to qualify for the Grand Challenge on Saturday.

October 28, 2007
NOT YOUR AVERAGE GROCERY GETTER
As the sun rose on the second day of the National Qualification event Team Oshkosh was busy testing TerraMax in an off-site location. Just after lunch, TerraMax entered test area “B”, a maze of winding residential roads, parked cars and parking lot navigation. Suburbia suited TerraMax well, as the truck completed the majority of the course before time expired. Having rehearsed each of the testing locations once, the team is excited to make some informed adjustments before heading back to the testing areas tomorrow.



October 27, 2007
WELCOME TO THE BIG DANCE 
The race may not have officially started, but there is a lot going on already at the DARPA Urban Challenge. The National Qualification Event—essentially the semifinals—began this morning. TerraMax participated in two qualification tests over the course of the day. In the cool, desert morning, Team Oshkosh was filled with smiles as TerraMax appeared to successfully complete its first test which involved navigation and intersection precedence. The initial test also included some of the tougher elements like re-planning routes that were blocked and performing Y turns on tight urban streets. 
   
In the afternoon the mood was more serious; as TerraMax exited what many on site believe might be the most difficult challenge of the event. Test area “A”, which evaluates the robot’s ability to merge into heavy traffic, is a complex dance between the robot and nearly a dozen Ford Taurus sedans. Like several other teams experienced today, TerraMax will need a few last-minute dance lessons before its next performance. 



 
October 26, 2007
TEN FOOT NINE BUT STOPS ON A DIME
In the last official practice day before the start of the National Qualification Event, most of the team passed the time playing what has now become their favorite video game, the TerraMax computer simulation. A dozen or so team members continued running TerraMax through the limitless driving situations for most of the day.

In the late afternoon, TerraMax headed to the practice areas for e-stop testing and a safety inspection. Team Oshkosh was very pleased with TerraMax’s performance to stop quickly and accurately. Feeling confident and ready to go after today’s practice the team felt no need to let off the gas. The team members spent the evening continuing to test the vehicle at an offsite location.