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A motorcycle covered in equipment, modded 4x4s and dune buggies were amongst the contestants in a competition to find the best driverless vehicle, Reuters reported.

The Pentagon-sponsored race has seen over 43 teams compete during its qualifying stages, which reduced the list to 20. Vehicles have to cross 150 miles of hills, rocks and man made obstacles in the Nevada desert. They cannot be remote controlled or driven and so must use computers to achieve the distance.

The winner will receive $2 million from the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It is hoped that the competition will help the search for a vehicle which can bring supplies to soldiers and others in war zones.

Ron Kurjanowicz, program manger of the race, said: "We can now see a future where these vehicles will take the place of soldiers in harm's way."

Sebastian Thrun, a competitor with a modified Volkswagen Touareg, said: "It's a no-brainer that 50 to 60 years from now, cars will drive themselves." He told reporters to "prepare to be blown away" by the vehicles competing this year.

DARPA hopes that the race will provide a winner after last year's competition did not see a vehicle cross the finish line.