Intel is betting that two of its quad core processor will give a vehicle the brains to navigate a real urban area, complete with oncoming traffic and other obstacles.

The chipmaker is supporting Stanford's entry into the upcoming Darpa Urban Challenge.  The same team won the Darpa Challenge in 2005, but this time the race is much more complicated.

20 Jun 2007

The biggest concern last time was avoiding rocks and elevation drops – and even then only four of the 15 entries succeeded in doing so. This time they have to obey traffic laws and respond to other traffic participants. All that causes a dramatic increase in the amount data that needs to be crunches and responded to.

We'll see on 3 November if this challenge will turn into a demolition derby, or if computers are actually smart enough to navigate our urban jungles. Below you can watch a video of "Junior", as the Stanford car is called.

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