Sandstorm is an autonomous vehicle created by

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

's Red Team, for the 2004 and 2005

DARPA Grand Challenge The DARPA Grand Challenge is a prize competition for American vehicle automation, autonomous vehicles, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the most prominent research organization of the United States Department of Defense. Uni ...

competition. It is a heavily modified 1986 M998 HMMWV. Sandstorm qualified in first position in the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge. It traveled the fastest and farthest (7.4 miles) during the race before high-centering on an embankment. The sensors used by Sandstorm in 2004 included three fixed

LIDAR Lidar (, also LIDAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranging, ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected li ...

laser-ranging units, one steerable LIDAR (in the globe on top), a

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

unit (developed in collaboration with th
Duke University Robotics
Team), and a pair of cameras for stereo vision. Sandstorm also had an Applanix POS/LV system, providing a GPS and

inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS; also inertial guidance system, inertial instrument) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning th ...

for determining geographical position. Since the 2004 race Sandstorm has been continually tested and modified, logging hundreds of test miles. Testing includes an unprecedented continuous 200 mile test run at an average of 28 miles per hour. The 2005 version of Sandstorm used six fixed LIDAR units, the steerable LIDAR, and both short and long range radar. Sandstorm competed in the

2005 DARPA Grand Challenge The DARPA Grand Challenge is a prize competition for American autonomous vehicles, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the most prominent research organization of the United States Department of Defense. Congress has authorize ...

on October 8, qualifying third from the pole position behind

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

and finished in 7 hours, 5 minutes, placing 2nd out of the five vehicles to complete the 132-mile course.

External links

Carnegie Mellon Red Team Racing

2004 Technical Paper
Experimental self-driving cars Carnegie Mellon Vehicles and Rovers DARPA Grand Challenge {{Robo-stub

See also

External links