About Team Cybernet
TEAM CYBERNET is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based team of professionals committed to helping American soldiers in the field. Their self-funded “Cybervan” was selected to compete in the National Qualifying Event for DARPA’s 2007 Urban Challenge.
Offering real-world solutions to real-world problems, Team Cybernet has converted an 11-year old minivan into an autonomous ground vehicle with technology capable of removing troops from increasingly dangerous situations. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 mandated that one-third of operational ground combat vehicles be unmanned by the year 2015. The “Cybervan” is a potential solution to this mandate, offering reliable, cost-effective, life-saving technology that is modular and scalable to any ground vehicle platform.
Led by Charles Jacobus, PhD, and Steve Rowe, Principal Architect, Team Cybernet is comprised almost entirely of professionals from Cybernet Systems, a woman-owned American research and development company. With only $45,000 of mostly commercial off-the-shelf materials and countless hours of intellectual capital, Team Cybernet developed the “Cybervan.” Purposefully developing their Urban Challenge solution with a vehicle that mirrors the age of the current fleet of in-the-field combat vehicles, Team Cybernet has made unmanned operational vehicles a reality.
DARPA encourages innovators to reach for horizons previously considered unattainable. Team Cybernet strives to attain DARPA’s vision that “every dull, dirty, or dangerous task that can be carried out using a machine instead of a human protects our war fighters and allows valuable human resources to be used more effectively.” In fact, Cybernet Systems’ technology is already utilized in this capacity.
With a history of providing significant contributions to the health, productivity and security of America and the world, Cybernet Systems’ technology is not only in Team Cybernet’s Urban Challenge vehicle and in-use by the military, but also in your home. Cybernet invented the largest selling robotic consumer technology on the market today, force feedback technology, which can be found in many home video game components.
To learn more about Team Cybernet or Cybernet Systems Corporation, please visit www.cybernet.com.
