We asked TORC Technologies to share with Handshake 2.0's audience more about the story we learned first from Montgomery County, VA Economic Development and TORC's Media Center. David Cutter kindly replied:

In early 2010 Dr. Dennis Hong, Director of Robotics and Mechanisms Lab (RoMeLa) at Virginia Tech, was tasked with upgrading his “phase 1” prototype dune-buggy and nonvisual interfaces for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Blind Driver Challenge, and putting blind drivers in a real, road-ready vehicle. Because of the way the nonvisual interfaces (DriveGrip and SpeedStrip) work, the equivalent of an autonomous vehicle was required.
 
To accomplish this in such an aggressive timeframe, and remain focused on improving the novel devices used to communicate with the blind driver, Dr. Hong made the decision to leverage TORC’s off-the-shelf mobile robotics platform – the ByWire XGV. This “modified Ford Escape” was then topped off with TORC’s PowerHub modules which are used to distribute power to all of the added sensors, computers, and the nonvisual devices added to the system. A custom version of TORC’s AutonoNav (autonomous navigation system) was used to process the environment and make driving decisions.
 
In a typical autonomous vehicle, these decisions would be fed back into the vehicle’s control systems to carry out the actual driving behaviors. Here is what makes this project so unique: Instead of driving the blind person around autonomously, the whole point of the Challenge was to let the blind person make active decisions and have full control over driving the vehicle. This is why communicating through the nonvisual interfaces was so critical for the project’s success.
 
This is a perfect example of why using TORC products makes sense – it allows the researchers to proceed full steam ahead on their technological innovations and not “reinvent the wheel” by building custom, one-off robotic systems which can eat up a majority of a project’s time and engineering resources. TORC is extremely proud to have its products and engineering support used in such a visionary project led by the Dr. Hong, NFB and Virginia Tech.

TORC Technologies was featured on the Today Show.

This edition of the Tech Showcase on Handshake 2.0 is sponsored by Coldwell Banker Townside, REALTORS (R), is a full service real estate agency specializing in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Roanoke, and Salem, Virginia real estate and homes.  You're invited to download the Coldwell Banker Townside App, check out the CBT blog, Keepin' It Real Estate, visit Coldwell Banker Townside, REALTORS (R) on Facebook, and see more of Coldwell Banker Townside on Handshake 2.0. 

Coldwell Banker Townside REALTORS is a client of Handshake Media, Incorporated, parent company of Handshake 2.0.

From TORC Technologies:

In Out of Harm's Way, 2nd Lt. Brian S. Villiard asks, "Can remotely operated platforms get Marines off the road?"

TORC's answer? Yes, thanks to ARCH, its Autonomous Remote Control HMMWV System.

In the video, Michael Fleming, CEO of TORC, describes how TORC transitioned and commercialized its DARPA Urban Challenge technology to ARCH featuring the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - the HMMWV, or "Humvee." TORC has also produced several other Urban Challenge technologies, including the ByWire XGV (computer controlled Ford Escape Hybrid), which provides other robotics developers with an integration-ready drive-by-wire platform.  The video includes a clip of the HMMWVs in action. Michael Fleming was named to the Virginia Blue Ridge Business Journal's 2009 "20 Under 40" list of young entrepreneurs.

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Update 9/21/09:  Latest from TORC on ARCH (Autonomous Remote Controlled HMMWV) - descriptions, photos, videos

TORC Technologies, located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia, is commercializing intelligent robotic technologies into modular, interoperable, off-the-shelf products that enable customers to rapidly integrate and deploy robotic solutions involving unmanned and autonomous vehicles.  TORC is widely recognized as a leading source of teleoperated control and autonomous navigation solutions for unmanned vehicles.

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The Rackspace Tech Showcase is sponsored by Rackspace (R) Hosting.  Rackspace Email and Apps is a division of Rackspace located in Blacksburg, Virginia. 

About Rackspace
As the leader and specialist in hosting services, Rackspace(R) Hosting is changing the way businesses worldwide buy IT. Rackspace delivers computing-as-a-service, integrating the industry's best technologies into a flexible service offering, making computing more reliable and affordable. A trusted partner to companies of all sizes, Rackspace enables IT departments to be more effective. Rackspace is distinguished by its award-winning Fanatical Support(R), furthering the company's mission to be one of the world's greatest service companies. Rackspace is recognized as one of FORTUNE Magazine's 100 Best companies to work for in the US, ranking number 43 on the list. Rackspace's portfolio of hosted IT services includes managed hosting (www.rackspace.com), email hosting (www.rackspace.com/apps) and cloud hosting (www.mosso.com). For more information on Rackspace Hosting, please visit www.rackspace.com.

TORC Technologies gave me, Anne Giles Clelland, founder of Handshake 2.0, a dream of a ride in its ByWire XGV, an unmanned Ford Escape Hybrid converted to drive-by-wire.

What does that really mean?  It's the TORC car!  It's like magic!  And it's for sale!  I could buy one! 

Or someone could buy one for me...

Anne Clelland of Handshake20.com
Drives TORC's ByWire XGV Using Remote Control

Blog Diva, a.k.a. Anne Giles Clelland, has wanted a ride in a magical TORC car ever since she saw the fully autonomous version at a NewVa Corridor Technology Council meeting almost a year ago.  

Today, on The Smart Road in Blacksburg, Virginia, TORC Technologies made her wish came true.

David Cutter of TORC Technologies takes a photo of
Anne Giles Clelland, founder of Handshake 2.0,
waving her hand happily from the backseat of a
ByWire XGV - Hybrid Escape

From David Cutter, TORC Technologies:

TORC is already declaring the New River Valley Triathlon Valley Cup will be theirs.

For a bunch of engineers, TORC claims to be rather athletic, participating in softball leagues each year, and even sponsoring their first men’s basketball team this winter.  A few avid bikers, runners, and even a high-school swimmer or two mix it up with their sky-diving CEO, and they love a challenge.  Training has begun, and TORC is confident it will take home the Valley Cup. 

Any other companies want to step up to the plate and try to take on TORC in the New River Valley Triathlon corporate relay challenge for the Valley Cup?

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TORC Technologies is automating dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks by commercializing intelligent robotic technologies into interoperable off-the-shelf products, providing the essential building blocks for rapidly enabling autonomy on virtually any platform.

Located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia, TORC is a rapidly growing company widely recognized as a leading source of teleoperated control and autonomous navigation solutions for unmanned vehicles.

Registration for the New River Valley Triathlon corporate relay challenge for the Valley Cup opens on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, at 7:00 PM.  Some Virginia races fill within an hour.  The New River Valley Triathlon will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at the brand new, state-of-the art Christiansburg Aquatic Center.

The New River Valley Triathlon benefits the Mental Health Association of the New River Valley, Inc.