There are a lot of overpriced and useless government programs out there, but DARPA isn't one of them. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has had their hands in some of the most advanced technology created since its inception in 1958, including the internet. They work closely with universities and civillian industries to create defense technology that is second to none.

The DARPA Grand Challenge was a contest open to anyone, which challenged teams to create autonomous vehicles that could navigate an obstacle course and many miles of desert roads without any human assistance. This documentary tells the story of some of the teams that competed, and it shows some of the technology they used.