<p>The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) was created with a clear vision: spur development of advanced robots that can assist humans in mitigating and recovering from future natural and man-made disasters. Disasters evoke powerful, physical images of destruction, yet the first event of the DRC was a software competition carried out in a virtual environment that looked like an obstacle course set in a suburban area.</p><p>That setting was the first proving ground for testing software that might control successful disaster response robots, and it was the world's first view into the DARPA Robotics Challenge Simulator, an open-source platform that could revolutionize robotics development.</p><p>Disaster response robots require multiple layers of software to explore and interact with their environments, use tools, maintain balance and communicate with human operators. In the Virtual Robotics Challenge (VRC), competing teams applied software of their own design to a simulated robot in an attempt to complete a series of tasks that are prerequisites for more complex activities.</p><p>Twenty-six teams from eight countries qualified to compete in the VRC, which ran from June 17-21, 2013. DARPA had allocated resources for the six teams that did best, but in an interesting twist, good sportsmanship and generosity will allow members of the top nine teams, listed below, to move forward:</p><p><a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Members_of_Top_Nine_Software_Teams_Move_Forward_from_DARPAs_Virtual_Robotics_Challenge_999.html">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://robots.net/article/3602.html">DARPA Virtual Robotics Challenge Announced</a> (Robots.net)</p><p><a href="http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/5942/DARPAs-Virtual-Robotic-Challenge.aspx">DARPA&#039;s Virtual Robotic Challenge</a> (ENGINEERING.com)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dCF0WMkQeOoRgdMELfoYOHMfLplIM&ned=us">3 additional articles.</a></p>