News Release

au·ton·o·mous
 a : existing or capable of existing independently
b : undertaken or carried on without outside control
c : responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole
 

Q: I don’t have any specialized skills, can I still help?

• A: Absolutely! If you want to be on the team, contact Paul Grayson and we will find an important place for you within the team organizations.

Q: Who is Andrea Morgan?

• A: Our vehicle AGV ANDREA MORGAN is named after National Parks Ranger Andrea Morgan, (with her permission). She and her husband are avid off road racers in the Mojave Desert area and conservationists.  These are qualities that we hope our vehicle design will represent well.
   

Q: Who is Wendy Darling?

• A: The name Wendy didn't exist before the story Peter Pan was written.  What better name for an automated vehicle that never existed before than Wendy.  It is also a name familiar to most people although we did have to dig a bit to find out what the last name that goes with it was.
   

Q: Why are your teams named after people?

• A: As a steamship engineer I reached back to my sailing days for a way to name teams.  I named the teams the way ships, fishing boats and tugboats are named in that business.  Ships are very complex machines that seem to have a life of their own, much like our vehicles.
   

Q: If I join the team what kinds of work will I be doing?

• A: We are asking the best, to do what they do best, and that is probably what we will ask you to do for the team and whatever else needs to be done.
   

Q: What makes you think you can win with your vehicle?

• A: The vehicles we have, the sponsors we have, and the people helping the team are all top notch. We are in this race to to get the truck AutoPilot to the US Army as soon as possible. Along the way  there is a great deal we can  each learn about automotive engineering, robotics, autonomous systems, and teamwork.  We are in a race against time and a race to be as good as we can.
   

Q: Which team is better?

• A: Supporting a team will make it better. Support us and we will be the better team.
   

Q: Don't you think that fielding three vehicles is spreading yourself too thin?

• A: It is actually an economy move on our part. We are using the combined advertising revenue from three vehicles to finance designing one guidance system and making three copies of it , one for each of our vehicles.
   

Q: What are your autonomous vehicles made out of?

• A: Our vehicles are made out of ordinary things used in an unusual way.  To be successful we have do not have to use exotic materials and strange fuels.  Having been raised in Dayton Ohio, I point to the example of the neighborhood bicycle builders.  Their airplane was made out of fabric, wire, wood and a home made engine powered by gasoline,  ordinary things at the time, but the result, an airplane - never existed before.  On the other hand if you have Alien technology to offer us, we certainly will consider adding it to our vehicles.
   

Q: What kind of commitment to the project do you require of your volunteer workers?

• A: Volunteers are eligible for a share of the prize money if they work two hours a week or more and stay with the team through race day.  Team members work scheduled times and hours - just like a regular job - although it is in their spare time.  They contribute as much Money, Manpower and Materials to the team as they can afford,. They also provide their own tools and insurance coverage.  If they leave the team, they may not work for a competing team.
   

Q: What are the benefits of being part of the AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC, LLC team?

• A: A chance to make a long lasting difference; access to people, technology, and resources; bragging rights - you are part of something very important; a place in history; an opportunity to show what you can do; and great fun doing it.

e-mail your questions to the team