Congratulations to MIT Red Balloon Challenge Team for Winning DARPA Challenge!

The race is over. We came close, very close, to winning the DARPA Challenge, but in the end we lost out to the MIT Red Balloon Challenge Team.

Verified Balloons We Found: 9 of 10

I'd like to thank everyone who participated on the team. It wouldn't have been possible without your help and support. In the coming days I'll be putting together a synopsis of what transpired throughout the day, so be sure to check back if you're interested.

Also, be sure to sign up for updates if you're interested in learning more about future opportunities.

DARPA Network Challenge News Release
DARPA Network Challenge
Dec 5, 2009

MIT RED BALLOON TEAM WINS DARPA NETWORK CHALLENGE

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced that the MIT Red Balloon Challenge Team won the $40,000 cash prize in the DARPA Network Challenge, a competition that required participants to locate 10 large, red balloons at undisclosed locations across the United States. The MIT team received the prize for being the first to identify the locations of all 10 balloons.

“The Challenge has captured the imagination of people around the world, is rich with scientific intrigue, and, we hope, is part of a growing 'renaissance of wonder' throughout the nation," said DARPA director,
Dr. Regina E. Dugan. “DARPA salutes the MIT team for successfully completing this complex task less than 9 hours after balloon launch.”

DARPA announced the Network Challenge to mark the 40th anniversary of the ARPANet, pre-cursor to today’s Internet, to explore how broad-scope problems can be tackled using social networking tools. The Challenge explores basic research issues such as mobilization, collaboration, and trust in diverse social networking constructs and could serve to fuel innovation across a wide spectrum of applications.

DARPA plans to meet with teams to review the approaches and strategies used to build networks, collect information, and participate in the Challenge.

DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). The Agency manages and directs research and development projects for DoD and pursues research and technology where the risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances in support of military missions.

“We need a renaissance of wonder. We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls, the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that life is miracle and magic.” -- E. Merrill Root

The 10 actual balloons (from DARPA)

Learn More About the DARPA Network Challenge:

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