DARPA Grand Challenge Prize Goes Big

You'd think that with all the money flushed down the toilet by the Department of Defense, what's an additional $3.5 million, right?

Well, finally the DoD plunged themselves some cash to help pay for this year's DARPA Grand Challenge. DARPA aka the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been known to create amazingly futuristic machines...capable of wiping out the entire human race! Wait a minute... I think I got confused with SkyNet...my bad.

The latest Grand Challenge involves a 60-mile urban course that must be navigated by cars that are completely autonomous. Yes, that Hummer that just ran over your cat really had no one behind the wheel.

Seeing that they have not selected a city for this challenge, I hereby volunteer Los Angeles. What, with our freeways moving at a crisp pace of 5-miles-per-hour, the winner should be able to lay claim to their prize with ease. Oh, and that prize happens to be $2 million for first place, $1 million for second and $500K for the slow poke in the rear.

I am putting $50 on the team that steals an Autobot from Michael Bay to cross the line first.

Engadget: DARPA reinstates Grand Challenge prize money, millions at stake