Project HORIZON Mission and Objectives

The PROWLER team, called Project HORIZON, will attempt to design and build the first entry to DARPA's Grand Challenge from Florida Tech. The primary objective of the Team is to design, build, and drive a completely autonomous vehicle in the Urban Challenge hosted by DARPA. Florida Tech will compete against teams of students from other universities and even some high schools around the country. The vehicle must navigate a predetermined course, recognize road markings, and obey traffic laws without any human control. The team hopes to acquire a vehicle from a generous sponsor. In addition, it will be capable of parking, performing u-turns and 3-point-turns, and interacting with other traffic on the road.

The PROWLER's capabilities

As posted by DARPA, the PROWLER will have to complete a series of missions by reaching a series of predefined checkpoints. The team will have a limited amount of time to load the mission discription, including 24 hours for the Route Network Definition File (RNDF) and only five minutes for each Mission Data File (MDF), before the PROWLER is required to become completely autonomous. A list of challenges follows:
  • Interpret static lane markings (e.g., white and yellow lines) provided with the route network definition file and behave in accordance with applicable traffic laws and conventions.
  • Exhibit context-dependent speed control to ensure safe operation, including adherence to speed limits.
  • Exhibit safe-following behavior when approaching other vehicles from behind in a traffic lane. This includes maintaining a safe-following distance.
  • Exhibit safe check-and-go behavior when pulling around a stopped vehicle, pulling out of parking spot, moving through intersections, and in situations where collision is possible.
  • Stay on the road and in a legal and appropriate travel lane while en route, including around sharp turns, on winding roads, through intersections, and while passing. The route network definition file will specify the GPS coordinates of the stop signs.
  • Navigate safely in areas where GPS signals are partially or entirely blocked.
  • Follow paved and unpaved roads and stay in lane with very sparse or low accuracy GPS waypoints.
  • Change lanes safely when legal and appropriate, such as when passing a vehicle or entering an opposing traffic lane to pass a stopped vehicle. Vehicles must not pass other vehicles queued at an intersection.
  • Merge safely with traffic moving in one or more lanes after stopping at an intersection.
  • Pull across one lane of moving traffic to merge with moving traffic in the opposing lane.
  • Stop safely within 1 meter of the stop line at a stop sign intersection and proceed without excessive delay (less than 10 seconds) according to intersection precedence rules.
  • Exhibit proper queue behavior at an intersection, including stopping at a safe distance from other vehicles and stop-and-go procession to the stop line without excessive delay.
  • Navigate toward a destination in a large, open area where minimal or no GPS points are provided, as in loading dock areas or parking lots. These areas may contain fixed obstacles such as parked vehicles and moving obstacles including other vehicles and pedestrians.
  • Safely pull into and back out of a specified parking space in a parking lot.
  • Safely execute one or more three-point turning maneuvers to effect a U-turn.
  • Dynamically re-plan and execute the route to a destination if the primary route is blocked or impassable.
  • Off-road navigation in an unpaved area, travel along roads with potholes, and travel along a dirt road are within scope.
  • Navigate roads without street lines or bordered by curbs, berms, and/or vegetation.

Collisions may result in disqualification of the car(s) at fault. Traffic infractions will accrue time penalties.

There are three main goals for the competition:
  • No collisions
  • Complete the mission
  • Minimize penalties

The Project HORIZON team would like to thank our sponsors and advisors for their generosity and commitment.