Robots to drive Polaris Ranger XP 900 EPS off-road vehicle during DARPA Robotics Challenge
"Polaris® Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles, announced on Tuesday, May 5, that its Limited Edition DARPA Polaris RANGER® XP 900 EPS and GEM electric vehicles will be used as part of the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals to be held June 5-6, at the Fairplex, in Pomona, Calif.
In the early stages of recent disasters, it became clear there were limitations to what mitigation steps humans could take due to dangerous conditions. This DARPA Robotics Challenge was created to spur development of robotic technology that can help humans to better respond to future disasters. The Challenge Finals will have robots perform a number of tasks in a continuous course, simulating what might be encountered in a real disaster situation. DARPA will use the RANGER XP 900 EPS in one of the most difficult tasks to help demonstrate a robot's ability to operate and to egress from a vehicle, since they are among the tools commonly on hand in disaster zones. The Polaris RANGER XP 900 is one of the best-selling vehicles in its class and widely used around the world with disaster-relief organizations such as the National Guard, Salvation Army and other first responders.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with DARPA after the successful DRC Trials in 2013," said Rich Haddad, general manager of Polaris Defense. "Off-road vehicles are some of the most useful vehicles in disaster relief, and our specialized RANGER vehicles were built to accommodate the robots and provide mobility for the driving task. In the future, the versatility of the RANGER platform would allow a robot to transport tools, equipment, supplies and power around a disaster site, while traversing the difficult terrain often found in disaster situations."…"
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