WTF?
Why did they chose the last place in the DARPA Challenge besides it being their own? I would think that for that kind money they could get one of the winners...
It can put Man on the Moon, but NASA has turned to universities to get its clumsy humanoid robot Valkyrie up to scratch. The robot, now dubbed R5, competed two years ago in the DARPA robotic challenge, and tied with two other teams for last place after failing to complete any of the specified tasks. Now the agency has awarded …
I think you are confused. They tied with two other teams for last place two years ago. MIT/NEU were not those other teams.
This year, MIT was 6th out of 23 entries, and Northeastern is acquiring talent (sounds like sports!) from WPI/CMU, who were 7th out of 23 entries this year. Considering that NASA may have a bias towards domestic non-commercial entities, it would seem they've picked the two top choices.
(Rah rah rhee, kick'em in the knee! Rah rah rhass, kick'em in the other servo!)
I wasn't confused about it at all and still think it looks a bit like polishing a turd. If there already is a better starting point from which to work, why not use it? NASA might have a particular bias, and the two entities that they chose are definitely not bad choices, it's just that they are decidedly not the best choices. I would have thought that NASA would have learned by now that politics and engineering do not combine well in achieving good outcomes.
Also, if NASA reverses course on this, the next headline could be "Valkyrie gets the SCHAFT!"
If you have already paid for the turd and still never got it polished why not give it to a uni to polish, you'll at least get some brownie points for passing stuff down to education.
I mean they could just stick it in a warehouse and forget about it.
They are just choosing the 2 yank "success's" at the DARPA competition as the lucky polishers.
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"Number 5 is still alive"
Ben Jarhvi: You have made many modifications upon your person, huh? You have come a long way from the Defense Department prototype.
Johnny Five: You betcha!
[parodying an electronics store's late-night TV ad]
Johnny Five: It's the all-new Johnny Five! Just look at these items! Increased memory: five hundred megabytes on-line! I come with a utility pack and dozens of gadgets for outdoor living, lots of Greenpeace stickers, and even my own Nike swoosh! And, if you act now, I'll throw in, absolutely free, my all-new, multi-frequency remote control!
Cooper: Hey TARS, what's your honesty parameter?
TARS: 90 percent.
Cooper: 90 percent?
TARS: Absolute honesty isn't always the most diplomatic nor the safest form of communication with emotional beings.
Cooper: Okay, 90 percent it is.
I wonder what NASA's honesty parameter is set to based on how much of a mess the original project was...