Boffins to enter driverless car in Pikes Peak race

Research into cars that can drive themselves has been ongoing for decades, with the ultimate goal being to maximise road space and safety, while allowing motorists to retain their personal mobility and freedom. Researchers at Stanford University in California are at the forefront of the field and they hope to tackle the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in a driverless Audi TT.

Also known as 'The Race to the Clouds', the 12-mile course climbs 1,439 metres to the summit of Pikes Peak, part of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and since 1916 competitors have tackled the course in a variety of machinery.

With VW already sponsoring Stanford's Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab it would have been rude not to use one of the company's cars for the challenge and given Audi's history of success at Pikes Peak, the high-performance, four-wheel drive TTS perfectly fits the bill.

Unlike Stanford's recent autonomous vehicle successes in DARPA's (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge, the intention is to attack Pikes Peak at full speed, using all the available grip to post a time comparable to a professional driver's.

Another aim of the project is for the car to appear unmodified; where as previous vehicles sprouted all kinds of exterior cameras and sensors on the bodywork.

It is unclear whether Stanford's entry will be ready in time for the July 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, though the team has already tested the Audi at speed in the wide open space of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Shane O' Donoghue