Oshkosh robot truck qualifies for military challenge

Oshkosh Truck Corp. said its robot truck, the TerraMax, has passed the qualifying trials necessary to compete in the $2 million DARPA Grand Challenge, a 150-mile race of unmanned vehicles across the Mojave Desert in Nevada, sponsored by the Dept. of Defense (DOD).

Oshkosh noted that the TerraMax successfully completed all four of its scheduled runs of 2.2- and 2.9-mile qualifying obstacle courses at the California Speedway in Fontana, CA.

The TerraMax is based on the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) truck platform built by Oshkosh for the Marine Corps. It operates without a driver or remote controls, using a guidance system based on navigational computers, GPS, laser range finders, and a synthetic vision system. It can carry more than seven tons off-road, the company said.

The event is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a DOD think tank. The final field of 20 teams, whittled down from 195, will receive course coordinates just two hours before race time.