You wouldn't think it could get worse after yesterday.  We're learning you should never count on that.  Today it got worse.

Brad Snodgrass, and Vadim Gitman did their usual magic and got the new power steering pump installed in time to make an 8:30 practice session.  The Jeep dealer in Ontario is getting used to us showing up for a new pump at odd hours.  So far so good.

At 6am Aaron Williamson started up all the systems on the Jeep, got all the software loaded and checked out the systems for time sync and functional applications.  We had a good practice run at 8:30am.  The LIDAR sensors were detecting obstacles and positioning them where they were supposed to be.  All the navigation systems seemed to be working well and guidance was converting all the information to commands to the vehicle.  So we left the practice area with data on just a few strange conditions, which we subsequently concluded were unlikely to appear on the course. 

Everything looked good in the launch chute. Position data and systems were all on target.  Checklists were complete and calibration checks were very good.  We thought this might be the day.  We turned IRV control over to DARPA at about 11 am.  Then DARPA flipped the "run" switch and IRV headed correctly down the course and ran down the metal panel on the left side of the first obstacle.  Our tire tracks on that panel from 3 of our 4 runs were all within an inch.  Whatever we're doing, we do it with amazing precision.

The run was shorter today.  After clipping the same left side gate markers as yesterday (more than half), we cleared the hay bales leading into the tunnel.  There was a left bias at this point, but it hadn't killed us.  But when we lost GPS in the tunnel, IRV took a left turn smacked the inside of the left tunnel wall.  The launch team headed back to the course to recover the vehicle.  This is the worst part of being on the launch team. We found the shock bumper on top of the concrete barrier that forms the lower level of the tunnel wall.  We've got to quit using that thing.  Mike Harrison, our most creative mechanical engineer (and only welder) went back to civilian life yesterday.

For all the spectacle of yesterday it was our longest run to date.  Today seemed to take us back to our first run in terms of results.

More data analysis.  Root cause is still a mystery, but the software team is hard at it.  We've been out to the calibration range to re-calibrate the gyro instruments (AHRS off about 1.1 degrees; INS off by 0.6 degrees).  Not enough error to explain what we're seeing, but maybe part of it. A variety of bugs reported and fixed in the various software systems have us hopeful again that we may yet get it rolling.  Only two qual runs left to show our stuff. 

Our neighbors in the next garage, the robot named "Tommy," lost both heading and speed control coming out of the tunnel.  They roared off course and scattered some photographers before hitting the concrete wall head on at full throttle and flipping in a spectacular crash.  At 4pm they are working feverishly to bang it back into shape (literally with hammers and saws) to run tomorrow.  Their biggest question is whether they can get a new Subaru engine in time. (see photo below)

DARPA just offered us a practice slot at 5:30pm.  We moved up due to other teams skipping their practice.  That beats the 6:30 call for a 7:30 practice that was originally projected.  We'll get a chance to test the analysis we've been doing and see if we've really found important improvements.

Hot meal (lasagna) brought in by Terri Layden, Sonal Majmundar, and Sandy Traster.  The official IRV term for real food is “Food-not-in-a-Sack.”
 
Results after 3 runs show 22 teams have completed at least one run.  About 6 teams have completed all three runs.  The second year teams have a clear advantage in the top 20 standings list.  This is going to be a very competitive field.  We'll need a real come-from-behind finish to get into the race.  No let up on the team.  We're in this to the end.