[Robotgroup] Mars Rover related ICFP programming contest starts today

[Bryan Bishop]

On Friday 11 July 2008, Paul D. Fernhout wrote:
> I just noticed this. See:
>   http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/10/235222
> "The 11th Annual ICFP Programming Contest begins July 11 (12:00 Noon
> PDT) and runs through July 14 (12:00 Noon PDT). As in the previous
> ten editions, this is your chance to show that your favorite
> programming language (or your team) is better than all others! In
> addition to prize money, the winner's programming language is
> declared the 'programming language of choice for discriminating
> hackers.' Contestants may use any programming language (or
> combination of languages) to show their skill. How will your favorite
> language fare?"
>
> From:
>   "ICFP 2008 Programming Contest Task Description"
>   http://smlnj.org/icfp08-contest/task.html
> """
> Recent breakthroughs in higher-order, statically-typed, metaspatial
> communication will enable data to be transferred between Mars and
> Earth almost instantaneously. As such, NASA is seeking examples of
> real-time control software to operate its latest model Martian rovers
> from control centers on Earth. Since it is well known that the ICFP
> contest attracts the crème de la crème of programmers from around the
> world, NASA has decided to use the current contest as a means of
> gathering software prototypes for their new control system. We are
> pleased to announce that this year’s winning entry will in fact be
> used to control the rover on NASA’s very next mission to Mars!
> (Subject to budget constraints.)
>
> Your control software will communicate with the rover over a network
> socket. Its object is to guide the rover safely from a given starting
> location to its home base. The controller’s primary function is to
> avoid the boulders and craters that litter the Martian surface. As an
> added nuisance, the local inhabitants, who are decidedly hostile,
> will immediately destroy any rover they can get their fourteen sticky
> fingers on. Note that Martians, like dogs, vary in intelligence.
>
> Control software prototypes will be evaluated according to their
> performance in a series of trials, the details of which are given
> below. Each trial consists of five runs on a given region of Mars. As
> a means of preparing for these trials, this document and its
> accompanying software provide sufficient details and infrastructure
> for the development of prototype candidates. Good luck, and may yours
> be the winning entry, to be used on Mars itself. """
>
> I assume they are kidding about using the actual code.
>
> It's a problem vaguely like one I submitted an entry to about six
> years ago (but I saw the contest late and had also promised a
> neighbor I'd help him put a ceiling in his garage so I didn't get
> much time to work on it :-) so I am tempted to see if I can dust that
> entry off and patch it up for the "lightning round" which needs to be
> done by tomorrow noon.
>
> --Paul Fernhout
>
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