Austin Robot Technology’s self-driving SUV is a semifinalist in one of the world’s most prestigious technology competitions: the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Urban Challenge.

ART’s elite team of technologists offers the only Texas entry with a Grand Challenge-tested vehicle. Their Isuzu VehiCROSS SUV, dubbed “Marvin,” participated in the 2005 Grand Challenge and was recently the subject of a course offered by the department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin, which is a team co-sponsor. This course provided the students with unmatched hands-on experience with autonomous vehicle technology, and many of those students continue to work with the vehicle as it prepares for the DARPA competition.

Both the DARPA Urban Challenge National Qualification Event on October 26-31, 2007, and the final event on Saturday, November 3, 2007, will take place at the urban military training facility located on the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, California.

The team is currently seeking additional sponsors for its DARPA entry. For more information, please visit our Become a Sponsor page.