Stanley

Six computers worked together to drive Stanley. Photo: Division of Work and Industry/National Museum of American History/Smithsonian Institution

Stanley is an autonomous Volkswagen Touareg that won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. It completed the 212-kilometer (132-mile) desert course in the shortest time and claimed the $2 million prize.

Creator

Stanford University

Year

2005

Country

United States 🇺🇸

Categories

Features

Sebastian Thrun on winning the DARPA Grand Challenge. Video: Stanford University

Did you know?

More than 100,000 lines of code were used to give Stanley autonomous capabilities.

Racks of electronics and servers sit in the trunk of a car. — The hardware was crammed into the trunk. Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr

A low view of a blue car with LIDAR on top and logos on its body. — One of the key sensors was LIDAR used for 3D mapping. Photo: DARPA

Specs

Overview: Equipped with AI software that integrates sensor data and uses machine learning and probabilistic reasoning to make driving decisions.
Status: Discontinued
Year: 2005
Website: cs.stanford.edu/group/roadrunner
Width: 192.8 cm
Length: 475.4 cm
Weight: 2400 kg (car only)
Speed: 61.2 km/h (top speed during race)
Sensors: Camera, two radars, GPS, six-axis inertial measurement unit, five Sick laser range finders.
Actuators: One DC motor attached to the steering column and one linear actuator attached to the gear shift (to change between drive, reverse, and parking). Custom interface for direct electronic actuation of throttle and brakes. Car engine: turbocharged five-cylinder in-line diesel.
Compute: Six Intel Pentium M computers, Gigabit Ethernet switch, and sensor interfaces.
Software: Linux OS. Custom software.
Power: Vehicle alternator and custom power system with backup batteries