| This summer, everybody should get ready for a new | | | | them to a championship where the robotic vehicles |
| form of life. This would certainly be the time for | | | | had to race through 132 miles of various types of |
| everybody to get to know the car that can actually | | | | terrain. The Volkswagen Touareg went through all |
| drive by itself. | | | | these with only its onboard sensors plus its navigation |
| No, this is not a new kind of movie. This is the real | | | | equipment to show it the way to the finish line. |
| thing. Just head out to the Smithsonians National | | | | Dr. Carlo Rummel, the executive director of |
| Museum of American History and you would find there | | | | Volkswagens Electronics Research Laboratory or |
| the sport utility vehicle from Volkswagen that could do | | | | ERL, testifies, This was the first time in history that a |
| this amazing feat. This amazing vehicle is the | | | | robot was able to accomplish such a long autonomous |
| Volkswagen Touareg and it can drive without the help | | | | drive at such high speeds. Its a major step toward |
| from any human being. | | | | smarter vehicles. The technology we used in Stanley |
| This robotic vehicle was named as Stanley. And now, | | | | (the Volkswagen Touareg) leads to safer cars for our |
| Stanley would be shown off engine, lights, headlights, | | | | drivers, because the car is aware of the surroundings |
| Volkswagen car parts, and all at the Smithsonian | | | | and can better react to the drivers commands. |
| National Museum of American History through the | | | | The Volkswagen ERL had some assistance on the |
| whole duration of this summer. It was during the | | | | Volkswagen Touareg Stanley from the Stanford |
| DARPA Grand Challenge that Stanley made quite a | | | | University. And the combination of skills, minds, and |
| name for itself. This outstanding vehicle took home the | | | | talents from these two groups made the Volkswagen |
| prize which amounted to a staggering $2 million. This | | | | Touareg drive itself without any help from humans. |
| Volkswagen Touareg had to compete with 22 other | | | | Processing of information that Stanley has goes |
| vehicles which were also not controlled by humans. | | | | through a Pentium 6 M computer. |
| They had to go through a rigorous challenge that took | | | | |