PS3 Enters DARPA Urban Challenge

billdar writes "Terrasoft Solutions posted an article on their development of a stereo vision object detection system built upon Sony's PS3 for Axion Racing's entry into the DARPA Urban Challenge. The PS3 running Yellow Dog Linux replaced one of the on-board Dell servers to process the realtime stereoscopic sensor data. The whole system was developed and integrated onto the vehicle in ten days. So far, Spirit has been making the competition's highlight reels."

Re:Another Reason to Buy One!

[nbowman]

yeah, because I never see anyone else on Warhawk. ever.


seriously will this "the PS3 isn't used for gaming" meme just die already? no, its not the dominant system, but I am not unhappy with mine, and neither are the other people I know that own one. The fanboyism, it burnss us.

Re:not done?

[vasqzr]

It's mentioned that the PS3 is replacing '6 Dell servers'

What are the specs on these servers? Are older Pentium 4 servers being replaced, or are they newer machines?

Then again, if a new Dell server (dual quadcore for example) could do the job all on it's own, thats' $3,000 compared to $600 for the PS3. Impressive showing, and a good use of the specialized hardware that the Cell brings to the table.

Re:not done?

[KDR_11k]

Well, this is a robotics competition, usually these require realtime systems so if it's getting used it can probably work well with realtime constraints.

Re:Another Reason to Buy One!

[jeks]

Am I the only one seeing a Slashdot double standard when it comes to Microsoft and the XBox?

Any article pointing out Microsoft's misdoings gets tons of attention yet it seems that the same crowd is very positive towards the XBox 360. Compare the number of posts on an average Slashdot XBox article (Halo 3, hello!) versus a PS3 article.

It would be nice to know whether you people think it is reasonable to own a 360 and still be opposing MS and its associated business methods.

Re:Another Reason to Buy One!

[gamer4Life]

I would definitely not call Microsoft "the little guy" in ANY industry. They leverage their monopoly on Windows to facilitate entry and eventually to force developers to make specifically for their platform.

Right now Microsoft is using Windows to entice companies to develop for the XBox 360. They buy exclusives left and right with the Windows tax that we pay. At the same time, they are forcing people to pay a monthly fee to play online, something that was once taken for granted. They force people to buy non-standard components, and they've made it the norm to have multiple versions of the same type of console. Does this sound like Windows? Imagine if they were to become the dominant player in the industry?

Not to mention they've succeeded in their viral campaign... notice that the most fanatic fanboys are XBox 360 owners? It could be that their main demographic - 13-25 year-old males that play shooters, are more prone to fanboyism and trolling Internet blogs to incite flamewars. If you take a look at each console's Wikipedia history, you'll see that the PS3 has had far more requests for protection than the 360.

Having said that, Microsoft's entry into the console market has helped Sony move forward with price cuts and enhancements - just don't hope that Microsoft gains a foothold - once that happens, it's a slow war of attrition until Microsoft comes out on top.

PS3 and the Current Gen

[LKM]

I own both a PS3 and a Wii. As of now, I would not recommend the PS3 to anyone. If you're a hardcore gamer, get a 360. Sure, it'll probably burn and explode, but as long as it still works, at least you've got some decent games. If you aren't a hardcore gamer, get a Wii. Tons of great games are available.

For the PS3, these are the games I'd recommend if you insist on getting one:

• Warhawk. Great game, although a bit expensive for online-only
• Motorstorm. Not too many tracks, but fun while it lasts. No split screen is a major letdown, though
• Resistance. Awesome FPS

You might also want to look at the following games. They are neat, but have serious flaws:

• R&C: Looking good, but if you've played an earlier R&C, you've already played this one
• Heavenly Sword: Pretty, but way too short
• Ninja Gaiden: Basically the same game as the Xbox version
• skate: Fun, but has serious framerate issues, and online is gimped; if you can, get the 360 version instead
• Calling all Cars: Fun little online game for those who like local multiplayer gaming
• Stardust HD, Everyday Shooter: Two of the better dual analog shooters

So there are three really good games, and a bunch of games that are acceptable. On the other hand, the Wii has stuff like Zelda, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper Mario, Wario Ware, Trauma Center, Mario Strikers, Rayman, Wii Sports, Elebits, Excite Truck, Super Monkey Ball, finally a good 3D Sonic... and that doesn't even include any of the VC games. As of now the Wii simply has the better game selection, and it looks like the gap is widening as franchises are moving to the Wii (Monster Hunter), while Sony has trouble keeping third parties on their console. [kotaku.com] The sales numbers paint the same picture: While the PS3 has a grand total of two million sellers (Motorstorm and Resistance), the Wii has at least nine.

Like I said: Even though I own a PS3, I would not recommend it to anyone. I think there's a good chance that it'll end up this generation's Gamecube: A few awesome first-party titles, but few third-party titles, and the third-party titles it gets are crappy ports from other consoles.