DARPA's Urban Challenge robot contest hasn't captured the imagination of robot builders and the news media in the same way as the more interesting Grand Challenge. The result is a lot fewer stories on the event and the teams involved. There are 53 teams who intend to participate in the contest. A CNET article offers a nice update on the contest and includes details on a few of the teams. Unlike the earlier Grand Challenge which allowed innovative robot designs, the Urban Challenge allows only stock vehicles that have been modified to be autonomous. The contest will take place on 3 November, 2007