  TAROT-1 is an automatic, autonomous ground based observatory whose primary
goal is the rapid detection of the optical counterparts of cosmic gamma-ray
burst sources. It will be able to begin imaging any GRB localization 8 seconds
after receipt of an alert from CGRO/BATSE or HETE-2. TAROT-1 will reach the
17th V magnitude in 10 seconds, at a 10$\sigma$ confidence level. TAROT will be
able to observe GRB positions given by Beppo-SAX or RXTE, EUV transients from
ALEXIS alerts, etc. TAROT will also study a wide range of secondary objectives
and will feature a complete automatic data analysis system, and a powerful
scheduling software. TAROT will be installed this fall on the Plateau du
Calern, 1200m above sea level. We report on the status of the project.
