Indy Robot Racing Selected to Compete in DARPA Event; IRV Cruises Into Qualifications

INDIANAPOLIS--June 6, 2005--IndyRobotics, LLC, parent company of the Indy Robot Racing team, announced today that it has been selected by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) officials to compete in the Grand Challenge National Qualification Event, September 27 to October 5, 2005, at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. The team is one of 40 chosen out of a field of 118 nationwide. The 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge is a 175-mile autonomous field test across the Mojave Desert. The Grand Challenge is the result of a mandate by Congress and the Department of Defense (DoD) that by 2015, one-third of operational ground vehicles of the armed forces must be unmanned.

"Indianapolis is certainly living up to its reputation as 'the racing capital of the world' by building the next generation of automobile technology right here in Indiana," stated Scott Jones, co-team leader of the Indy Robot Racing team. "Our team proved to the DARPA officials during the on-site visit in May that we have what it takes to compete, and win, the race." The Indy Robot Racing team was one of six Indiana teams to enter the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge.

Indiana's Robotic Vehicle (IRV), the "offspring" of IndyRobotics LLC and the Indy Robot Racing team, is a 2005 Jeep Rubicon. The vehicle is designed to run autonomously without the aid of a human driver or remote control.

The first DARPA Grand Challenge took place in March 2004. Fifteen vehicles entered the race and attempted to manipulate the 142-mile course through the Mojave Desert. No team successfully completed the race. In October 2005, Grand Challenge teams will once again compete in the Mojave Desert in an effort to successfully launch the world's first autonomous vehicle.

The Indy Robot Racing team, headquartered in Carmel, Ind., is comprised of engineers, software developers and marketing professionals from across the state. The team's mission is to build the world's first fully autonomous vehicle and to create a new high-tech enterprise in Indiana.