The Cannonbot Run

There may be no fear and loathing, but it's pretty freakin' gonzo. On March 13, 20 "autonomous ground vehicles" will compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge (darpa.mil), a government-sponsored robot race from L. A. to Vegas. The rules? Each vehicle must be able to drive itself, refuel itself, and make its own decisions during the 250-mile race. The point? To advance development of military vehicles that can cross minefields and patrol the backstreets of hostile capitals without risking a single American life. The prize? One million of your tax dollars. It's a tough field to handicap—there may be no winner at all—but here are three of the top contenders.

1. The Sandstorm
Professor Red Whittaker, a legendary robot guru at Carnegie Mellon, has outfitted an '86 Hummer with software that maps the course and ultrasonic range finders for tumbleweed avoidance. Top speed: 65 mph. Esquire odds: 7 to 1. redteamracing.org.

2. The RASCAL
Team RASCAL consists mainly of technologists from a California defense contractor. And like all self-respecting military types, these guys think in acronyms. Behold the Robust Autonomous Sensor-Controlled All-terrain Land vehicle. Top speed: 65 mph. Esquire odds: 16 to 1. sciautonics.com.

3. The Cyberrider
Technology-wise, this propane-fueled robot has "a multibeam ladar scanner for terrain profiling, backed up by a radar for longer distance obstacle recognition." Um, okay. Looks cool, too. Top speed: 55 mph. Esquire odds: 25 to 1. cyberrider.org.