01.01.1970 //In competitions European Land Robot Trial victory gained the robot, created by specialists from the university of the armed forces of Germany.
In competitions European Land Robot Trial, which resemble the pickers of automobile- robots DARPA Grand Challenge, sponsored by the administration of the long-range planning of the defense scientific research works OF THE USA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA), victory gained the robot, created by specialists from the university of the armed forces of Germany (Universitaet der Bundeswehr). In comparison with DARPA Grand Challenge, European competition requires of the robots of larger independence, asserts source, referring to participants in the measure. Base for the robot, built by German servicemen, became automobile Volkswagen Tuareg. By the way, robot on the same chassis won in the past year DARPA Grand Challenge.
Differences in the equipment of transportation means were dictated by differences under the conditions of races. In the case of DARPA Grand Challenge, the robots dvizhutsya along the route, outlined by points with the coordinates indicated, which they obtain with the aid of GPS, but on conditions European Land Robot Trial machine they must not rest on the data of satellite navigation.
Although the distance is altogether only eight kilometers (in the case of Grand Challenge - more than 200 km), it impresses the level of complexity: for robot it was necessary to find way, relying, predominantly, on image processing. Cnimki, made a camera, supplemented data of lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) - the acquisition systems of obstacles and measurement of distances with the aid of the laser, and the information, which comes from 64 sensors. This made it possible to successfully identify such obstacles as trees, stones and people. Making ten complete revolutions per minute, lidar formed the picture with the sizes of one million pikseley, which was used for the formation of the three-dimensional model of environment. Furthermore, robot analyzed information, allowed by the guide signs.
As a result, of about 90% of way the robot made independently, although in the critical sections of route for operators it was necessary to take control to itself. In the opinion of specialists, the robot-automobiles can appear on the roads of general use for the next 15-20 years.