Autopilots | An Underdog Story of the DARPA Grand Challenge, Dawn of Driverless Cars, & Rise of AI

In 2005, a small underdog team of dreamers set out to change the world.

Armed with nothing but grit, creativity, and a quirky robot car named Tommy, inventor Paul Perrone and his band of unlikely roboticists drove across the country to compete in the legendary DARPA Grand Challenge. A Pentagon-backed race across the Mojave Desert with a $2M prize on the line.

This wasn’t just a race. It was the birth of self-driving cars.
????️ Truck-sized robots tearing across brutal terrain.
⚔️ Corporate and university giants vs. a tiny garage-built team.
???? A test that sparked the global race toward autonomous vehicles and AI.

Autopilots is more than a competition story. It’s about resolve in the face of tragedy, innovation against impossible odds, and the human drive to push the boundaries of technology.

Featuring rare interviews with futurist Ray Kurzweil, author Joel Garreau, AI pioneer Bill Hibbard, Java creator James Gosling, and iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, the film explores not only the race itself but also the Singularity, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the government’s role in driving innovation.

Premiered at the 2013 Virginia Film Festival, Autopilots is now being released free to the world. 20 years after the events that shaped today’s AI revolution.

???? If you’re fascinated by autonomous vehicles, AI, robotics, futurism, or underdog stories, this is a film you won’t forget.

???? Watch the full documentary here, share it with others, and witness the origins of the self-driving car movement.
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1939651/

For more content on autonomy, AI, robotics, and more, catch Paul Perrone on the DRIVEN podcast.
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@DRIVEN-SHOW
DRIVEN website: https://www.driven.show
Email at: airateshow@gmail.com

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