“When the DARPA Robotics Challenge first began to coalesce from an idea to a plan, we knew that we wanted to create a lasting legacy not only for robot hardware capabilities, but also for robotics simulation software. To help with these efforts, DARPA contracted with the Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) in 2012.
As a first step, we designed the Virtual Robotics Challenge (VRC). The VRC enabled us to invite software developers, who may not otherwise have access to robotics hardware, to participate in the DRC program. DARPA would provide robots to the teams that brought the best software to control them.”