DARPA on the lookout for robotic 'power skin'
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Apr 9th 2009 8:16PM
posted Apr 9th 2009 8:16PM
DARPA has put out an RFI for something called Power Skin. The technology is conceived as a structural material that would provide "its own day and night power... to be used as an independent power source and, simultaneously, serve as the structural material" for robots (see our conceptual rendering above) and unmanned aerial vehicles. Ultimately, the military-industrial complex would like to see you develop something that would allow the aforementioned UAVs "indefinite flight endurance," although they'd be totally into it if you could demonstrate continuous flight for a mere four days. We're fairly certain that some of our more clever readers have already developed this technology, so why don't you hit the read link and see if you can't make a few bucks off it? Tell 'em Engadget sent you.
[Via The Register]
[Via The Register]
They're also, I hear, looking for a working Orbo, The Holy Grail, and an honest politician.
maybe they're too distracted by duke nukem forever.
the smarter these darned robots get the worse the economy gets!!!!!!!!!
the economy is getting worse every day!!!!!
:D lol jk
now they want to my robodermis. wtf.
Robots will soon take over the world, and the one guy who invented their AI will be like, "Damn, shoulda seen that coming..."
The DARPA Chief is really Decoy Octopus!
a structural material with infinite energy both day and night? good luck with that.
only way i see this as even conceivable is stronger solar panels with some kind of built-in battery layer.
So, a photosynthetic...
I got it a green plant, now where's my check?
maybe something combined with piezoelectrics? That does seem to be all the rage lately...
"We're not sure who started the war. But we do know this: we're the ones who torched the sky."
Don't be the guy who turns us into batteries...
I would think that if someone had this magical technology they might just be assembling their own robot army.