August 11, 2005

Purdue students to display two vehicles at state fair

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Two vehicles designed, engineered and built from scratch by Purdue University students will be on display Wednesday (Aug. 17) during the Indiana State Fair.

The first vehicle is a dune buggy-style autonomous vehicle that contains computers to operate the car, and the second is a Baja-style racecar. Both vehicles will be on display throughout the day on the walkway just west of the fair's cattle barn off 38th Street in Indianapolis.

The autonomous vehicle is a second-generation prototype. The vehicle's computers function as its eyes, hands and wheels, as well as supplying the vehicle with some decision-making capabilities. A Chevy Cavalier engine powers the car.

Following additional modifications, the vehicle is slated to compete for a $2 million prize in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge, sponsored and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The DARPA competition challenges vehicle designers in the public and private sectors to create an unmanned vehicle that can successfully navigate a 175-mile field test with obstacles placed in its path across the Mojave Desert. The competition is held annually until an autonomous vehicle successfully completes the race.

The second vehicle to be displayed at the fair is a Baja-style racecar that is designed to perform on various types of terrain. In June, the vehicle competed in the SAE Mini-Baja race in Dayton, Ohio. It was judged in the areas of maneuverability, acceleration, braking, speed, hill climbing, sled pulling and rock crawling. It placed fifth in the four-hour endurance race.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, (754) 494-4192, csequin@purdue.edu

Source: John Nolfi, School of Mechanical Engineering, (765) 496-7869, (765) 409-3262 (cell), nolfijg@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Photo opportunities are available with students and the vehicles throughout the day Wednesday (Aug. 17).

To the News Service home page