10/8/2005|Team Gray Finishes the Grand Challenge!

Team Gray was one of only four teams to successfully complete the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. While Team Gray finished in fourth place overall, it proved that it was a true contender for the $2,000,000 prize as it was only 37 minutes behind the leader. KAT-5 completed the 131.6 mile race in 7 hours and 30 minutes with an average speed of 17.5 mph.

10/5/2005|Team Gray Selected as a Finalist!

After a week filled with several crashes and several near-perfect runs at the National Qualification Event (NQE), Team Gray pulled off a perfect run on its last run to secure a spot as a finalist in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The 2.7 mile obstacle course featured tank traps, mountain passes, parked cars, and a concrete tunnel. Only 23 of the original 43 semi-finalists were selected as finalists.

8/20/2005|Team Gray Hits 40 MPH

After extensive testing, Team Gray is now proud to announce that it is confident in the ability of its vehicle to maintain stable autonomous control at speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour over an exhaustive range of terrains. This is yet another one of the major milestones achieved in the previous months in preparation for a successful entry into the Grand Challenge.

With 38 days left until the beginning of the National Qualification Event, we are convinced of our capability to produce a successful contender for the $2 million prize.

6/6/2005|Team Gray Selected as a Semifinalist!

Team Gray has been selected as 1 of 40 semifinalists out of a field of 196 original entries. To put this in perspective, 22 universities, including M.I.T. and Princeton did not qualify.

The next step is to attend the National Qualifying Event in late September to hopefully qualify as 1 of the 20 finalists to go to the starting line on October 8th, 2005 - race day.

5/3/2005|Team Gray Selected for Site Visit

Team Gray's application has been accepted, and a site visit has been scheduled for May 3, 2005. Only 118 entrants out of the original 196 qualified. At the site visit, the car must run a prescribed course three times, avoiding two obstacles each time. An optional fourth course can be run to demonstrate the capabilities of the car.

2/11/2005|We Accept the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge

Utilizing various team members’ experience in yachting, aerial navigation systems, mechanical engineering, military training, and advanced IT development, Team Gray rebuilt a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid to outthink the competition. A major strategy from the beginning has been to take advantage of existing intelligence and resources to concentrate on integration and research.

Team Gray’s commitment to The DARPA Grand Challenge extends beyond the competition. The Challenge demands competitors to accept the responsibility of furthering military development and innovation that benefits society.