CurAegis Technologies Inc (fka CRGS)

[Skipper94]

Message from the CEO

On Friday, March 11th, Team Autonomous Ingenuity achieved a significant milestone: Torvec and its DARPA Grand Challenge Partners’ completed application for the 2005 Grand Challenge was submitted to the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense. Part IV of the application required a five minute video to demonstrate the Challenge vehicle’s current state of preparation and level of robotic integration.

Team Autonomous Ingenuity’s Official Video Demonstration
Windows Media (Low Resolution 13 MBytes) / MPEG (High Resolution - 51 Mbytes)

We eagerly await the DARPA Selection Committee’s April decision on our application, when we will find out whether we have been selected for a May site visit by DARPA officials.

Torvec, with Partners MotoTron, a Division of Brunswick Corporation, and Traxen Corporation, has entered its Full Terrain Vehicle (FTV™) in this 142 mile race across the Mojave Desert. The purpose of the DARPA Grand Challenge is to develop a fully autonomous robotized vehicle needed by the US military in the war against terror. The Challenge supports the Congressional mandate that 30% of all US military vehicles be capable of autonomous navigation by 2015.

The FTV™ is ideal for programming as a fully autonomous vehicle because of its ability to adapt to a wide array of terrain and the most difficult field conditions. The FTV™'s patented technologies enable the vehicle to be fully integrated with cutting edge autonomous technology. Our patented hydraulic steer drive mechanism can be precisely controlled using linear actuators which apply straight line forces, greatly simplifying their integration and speeding the development process. Actuators have been installed to control steering, throttle and brake, and will soon control transmission shifting. The FTV can now be operated under complete radio control. An emergency stop (E-Stop) system has also been installed, and at the push of a button the vehicle transitions back to a normal truck, able to be fully operated by a human driver. We are well into development of the autonomous control algorithms and are confident that our vehicle will excel at an anticipated May site visit by DARPA officials.

I am extremely pleased by the teamwork demonstrated by the three companies working closely together. Not only have we made major strides in robotizing the FTV™ in a matter of weeks, but we have also developed close working relationships with MotoTron and Traxen which can extend well beyond the DARPA Grand Challenge.

For more information on the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge see the April 2005 edition of Popular Science, or visit the official Grand Challenge website at http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge.

I will continue to keep you informed on the progress being achieved across all of our technology platforms on a timely basis.


Sincerely,

Philip A. Fain,
Chief Executive Officer