Since the inception of the science fiction genre robots have caught our interest and enflamed our imagination. They have become such a mainstay in all works about technology that sci-fi and artificial intelligence goes hand in hand. Currently we used robotics to assist with a great variety of tasks from manufacturing to cleaning. But what about driving?

The future that is supposed to be full of flying cars and nanotechnology may be a ways off, but the government is taking steps to see where innovation brings us. In 2004 the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started a competition to see if people could make an unmanned and operational vehicle. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for humans to take part in warfare, which is a lofty set of ideals. The challenge has turned into an annual competition though the first year was unfortunately a bust thanks to the failings of every machine on the track. Of course it was held in the Mojave Desert so technical issues were to be expected. Fortunately the following year offered a glimmer of hope for this particular endeavor.

A $2,000,000 prize purse was placed ahead of the competitors like a carrot on a stick. Granted the cost of creating their machines probably met or surpassed that amount so the real prize was to walk away with the satisfaction of creating a viable piece of technology. Taking place again in the Mojave Desert the 2005 competition subjected its entrants to a grueling obstacle course at California Speedway in Fontana as part of the qualification. 23 machines made it through to the next round though some of them still had problems with tight squeezes, hay bails, and technical snafus.

Narrated by John Lithgow The Great Robot Race is a look at NOVA's broadcast of the event on PBS. It starts out with an introduction to some of the teams and robots taking place in the DARPA Grand Challenge and gives a glimpse at what it took to assemble their machines. I found this part to be particularly fascinating. It's fine and dandy to look at the end result, but actually seeing what went into making the vehicle come together and function is a true marvel.

There are a couple of interesting rides that took place in the competition as well. From an unmanned motorcycle known as Ghost Rider to a gigantic truck going by the handle of TerraMax the innovation is definitely there. The front runners based upon the developmental focus are groups from Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Digital Auto Drive/Velodyne Acoustics.

36 hours after the qualification round the real competition gets under way. The teams are given information about the track their creations will be attacking though a few rules are laid out. Over a hundred and thirty miles of track lay before them and a time limit of ten hours looms over their heads. As the teams rush around at the last minute to ensure everything is set the pressure sets in. When the race gets underway all the roboticists can do is sit back and watch their handiwork go play in the desert. I'm not going to spoil it for which team one, but this event happened last year so if you have even a passing interest in robotics chances are good that you already know the outcome.

The Great Robot Race is a fun look at the DARPA Grand Challenge. It balances its content between the creation of the robots and their attempts on the track and succeeds with Lithgow's narration. I remember seeing portions of this on PBS once while I was flipping through the channels but caught it at the tail end. I love technology stuff like this and seeing people get together to make the future a more realistic place. If you're into robotics or know someone who is, this is an entertaining feature and definitely worth checking out.

The Great Robot Race is presented in widescreen but unfortunately it's not anamorphic. The video quality is very good with a crystal clear image and sharp contrast. Sure there isn't much to look at out in the desert, but the vehicles come across well with some fine detail. Some of the interview segments are the softer bits of the picture and from time to time the style of camera will change and offer a little bit of grain as well. Overall though this is a great looking feature.

An English stereo track awaits you on this disc with pretty much no other option. Not that you need a 5.1 surround mix for a show with this content, but it's always nice when one is included. The sound quality is fair for what it's worth with decent volume pitch and a slight amount of channel separation on the front soundstage. No subtitles are included either though the DVD is closed captioned so you can access that through your TV.

Apart from a "teaching materials" PDF in the DVD-Rom section there is nothing on this disc that could be considered supplemental. Not even previews for other NOVA shows.

If you have a passion for technology and robotics then you probably already know all about the DARPA Grand Challenge. There is a scheduled event coming up in 2007 which features an urban environment instead of the desert one of the past two competitions. If you're looking for something entertaining to watch with a decent amount of techno jargon The Great Robot Race may be worth checking out. Lithgow's narration is anything but dry and the balanced features of the show (interviews, development and race) are nicely handled.

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