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Google snaps up Stanford robotics

Licensing deal for sensing technology seen as weapon in battle with Microsoft for 3-D mapping services
By Elise Ackerman

MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Launched: 05/22/2007 03:05:07 AM PDT

http://contracostatimes.com/business/ci_5957589

Google is hoping a robotic car will prove to be a secret weapon in its ongoing battle with Microsoft to extend the frontiers of the Internet.

MediaNews has learned that Google has quietly licensed the sensing technology developed by a team of Stanford University students that enabled Stanley, a Volkswagon Touareg R5, to win the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. In that race, the Stanford robotic car successfully drove more than 131 miles through the Mojave Desert in less than seven hours.

The technology will enable Google to map out photo-realistic 3-D versions of cities around the world, and possibly regain ground it has lost to Microsoft's 3-D mapping application known as Virtual Earth.

Technologists believe an emerging 3-D Internet will eventually be commonplace as increasing numbers of people work, play and shop in virtual environments.

Microsoft's Virtual Earth, available through the 3-D link on maps.live.com, gives a hint of what that future will look like. Thanks to a unique approach to aerial photography, clever algorithms and the application of massive computational power, Microsoft has been able to create exact replicas of more than 50 cities, including San Francisco and San Jose.

Google Earth had 3-D cities, too. But until now, its buildings have been modeled by people, not computers, giving Microsoft's computer-generated cities a decided edge in completeness.

Katherine Ku, director of Stanford's Office of Technology Licensing, said the deal with Google was completed earlier this month. Ku said elements of the deal are exclusive so the same technology will not necessarily be available to competitors.

Google has previously licensed technology from Stanford, including the original search algorithm that was developed by Sergey Brin and Larry Page while they were pursuing graduate degrees in computer science at the school.

Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab and leader of the Stanford Racing Team, will also work part-time at Google. Thrun declined to discuss the commercialization of Stanley's technology.

A Google spokeswoman indicated that the company was planning an announcement at the Where 2.0 conference in San Jose on May 29-30.

"I'm thrilled," said David Cheriton, head of Stanford University Distributed Systems Group, and an early mentor to Brin and Page who later provided financial backing to the Stanford Racing Team.

"I think that this technology is very impressive because it offers amazing realism in a surprisingly simple approach," he said.

Jonathan Stark, who competed in the 2005 race as leader of Team Underdawg, made up of Bay Area enthusiasts, said Stanley's technology will let Google scan building faces, allowing for a much richer online experience than the current combination of aerial photos and human-created architectural models.

Stark's current Team Orange will compete against the Stanford Racing Team later this year in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge.

Contact Elise Ackerman at [e-mail] or 408-271-3774.