The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has published concept artwork depicting the robots that will compete in its ambitious DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). The DRC will require robots to drive a car, travel through rubble, open doors, climb ladders, manipulate tools, and more. However, due to the current limitations in artificial intelligence, the robots will be teleoperated by a team of people behind the scenes. The idea is to advance robotics technology so that humans won't have to put their lives at risk in future disaster scenarios.

 

The winning team will be awarded US$2 million, but that's not all. Teams are divided into two groups (hardware and software) that will each get millions in funding through the end of 2014, when the DRC's final challenge takes place. The hardware groups have it really tough: they have to build and program their robots from scratch, so they'll get up to $4 million in funding.