Unmanned Vehicles Guided Across Desert With Help of SICK Sensors

Laser Measurement Sensors Used in Race to the Finish Line of DARPA Grand Challenge

MINNEAPOLIS, March 9 -- SICK, a global leader in factory automation solutions, today announced that its innovative Laser Measurement System sensors (LMS) are being used by several teams during the DARPA Grand Challenge. The LMS sensor is one of the key components of the navigation system, helping to sense the terrain and obstacles in front of the unmanned vehicles.

Sponsored by the Department of Defense, the competition is designed to test state of the art autonomous vehicle technology. The race, slated for March 13, 2004, will cover a rugged course between Barstow, California and Primm, Nevada. The team that completes the course the fastest, and within a specified time, will win $1 million.

"The LMS units play a key role in our terrain sensing capabilities," commented Chris Pederson, team leader for the A.I. Motorvators team. "The reliability and quality are impressive and demonstrate SICK's commitment to producing components that have the performance and durability needed for autonomous ground vehicles."

"The SICK LMS sensors are considered key to our ability to generate a simplified 3D image of the immediate terrain in front of the vehicle," added Ivar Schoenmeyr, leader of the CyberRyder team.

SICK non-contact LMS sensors offer accurate distance measurement and collision control throughout a scanning field up to 180 degrees. The innovative LMS sensors from SICK can also be used for monitoring open spaces for building security, object classification, determining the volume of objects and collision prevention for vehicles and cranes.

"SICK is proud to lend its expertise in automatic identification products to this historic event," said Jeff Osterhues, manager of the SICK Automatic Identification Division. "The LMS is a powerful and versatile imaging and measuring tool -- and is another product in a long line of innovative solutions from SICK," concluded Osterhues.

About SICK North America

The North American subsidiary of SICK was established in 1976, with headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company has sales offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. SICK is a global leader in factory and process automation solutions. SICK's goal is to help clients achieve their goals: high production rates, short processing times, safe environments and consistently high quality. We design and manufacture cost-effective products to achieve a consistently high level of precision, reliability and versatility. With more than 350 patents in industrial sensors, safety systems and automatic identification solutions, SICK continues to lead the industry in new product innovations. The diversity of its product line allows SICK to offer solutions at every phase of production in the automotive, packaging, electronics, food and beverage and material handling markets. SICK was founded in 1946 and has operations or representation in 65 countries worldwide.