Stanford and Carnegie Mellon University will battle it out again in November to see whose robots are smarter.

The two, among nine other competitors, will participate in a Pentagon-sponsored race using cars operated solely by robots. But this year the stakes are higher and the track is tougher.

The first place winner will received $2 million, second will win $500,000 and third will take home $250,000. The cars will have to travel down a busy city street where they will make turns, merge in and out of lanes, park and obey traffic laws. Last year the vehicles raced in a desert setting.

Team member David Stavens said, "It's definitely a more challenging problem scientifically."

Stanford has teamed up with Volkswagon for the second time in two years. The team installed the most high-tech lasers and sensors in a Passat sedan. The team is currently writing the program that will control the vehicle.

CMU partnered with General Motors Corp. They will use a souped-up Chevy Tahoe, which will be tested this month. CMU won both second and third place last year when they entered a Humvee and Hummer.

The Pentagon supports the races in order to encourage testing for robotically controlled military vehicles.