Mike Webster

Papers

Total Citations

274

H-Index

About

Mike Webster is a leading figure in autonomous vehicle systems, best known for his pivotal role in the DARPA Urban Challenge. As a core member of Team VictorTango, Webster co-authored the seminal paper "Odin: Team VictorTango's entry in the DARPA Urban Challenge" (2008, 253 citations), which detailed the team's approach to navigating a 90 km urban course without human intervention. This work addressed critical challenges like stop intersections, traffic merges, and roadblocks, establishing foundational algorithms for real-world autonomous driving. Webster's contributions helped demonstrate that robotic vehicles could operate safely in complex, dynamic environments, directly influencing subsequent developments in self-driving technology. The paper remains a cornerstone reference, cited over 250 times, while a later expanded version (2009, 21 citations) provided further technical depth. Webster's achievements in the DARPA challenge highlight his expertise in integrating perception, planning, and control systems, making him a key contributor to the early success of autonomous ground vehicles. His work continues to inspire researchers tackling the next generation of autonomous mobility.