Engadget

Navy looks into UV cloak for stealth aircraft

Sarah Silbert — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:32:00 EST

The Navy's invested good money in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which obscures radar waves and redirects engine heat to evade recognition by infrared sensors. But that stealth flier is still vulnerable to another type of detection: UV sensors. The Pentagon recently began soliciting proposals to develop a device that cloaks aircraft from ultra-violet detection systems. The hope is that such a technology could shield aircraft from missile seekers that scan the sky for telltale "UV silhouettes." According to the call for research, the solution could involve a device that disperses a cloud of quantum dots or other materials to veil jet fighters in a shapeless mass of UV shadow. Given that this is a rather daunting task, it's not surprising that the development timeframe and projected cost are still up in the air.

Navy looks into UV cloak for stealth aircraft originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA envisions disposable SeeMe satellites for on-demand reconnaissance

Zachary Lutz — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:33:00 EST

A new project from DARPA could successfully bring satellites to the same throwaway status as paper cups and Charlie Sheen's income (#winning). At $500,000 a pop, the orbitals would hardly be chump change, but the Pentagon insists these airborne systems could provide reconnaissance within 90 minutes of deployment and would deliver valuable tactical information to areas not covered by current satellites. Known as SeeMe, the systems would be launched in groups of 24 -- which equates to a $12 million cluster -- and would remain in orbit for 60 to 90 days, at which point they'd burn up upon atmospheric re-entry. Currently, DARPA is seeking contractors that can manufacture the systems rapidly at low costs, which can also "develop advanced technologies for optics, power, propulsion and communications to keep size and weight down." It's said to further discuss the project at a March 27th event known as Proposers' Day. In the meantime, we're going to hit the junkyard and see what we can cobble together.

DARPA envisions disposable SeeMe satellites for on-demand reconnaissance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video)

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:41:00 EST

You may not recall when 60 Minutes' David Martin took a shot at the Pain Gun, but it didn't end well for the fleshy anchorman. Now Wired's Spencer Ackerman's having a go, with similarly one-sided results. The Pentagon's sanguinely-named Active Denial System turns electricity into millimeter-wave radio frequency, silently pumping out 95GHz of searing hot agony from distances of 2,500 feet. The project's still got a few issues, namely that it takes 16 hours to boot up, uses a heck of a lot of energy and stops working if it's raining, snowing or dusty. But, you know, it'll be back when the air clears up, and you probably don't want to be around when it arrives. If you'd like to see the score go 2-0 to the weaponized microwave, head on past the break.

Continue reading Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video)

Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA director exits agency for Google, assumes mysterious role

Joseph Volpe — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:14:00 EST

Not even the federal government's factory of scifi dreams can hold off the likes of Google's recruiters. According to Wired, Regina Dugan, DARPA's current director, will be moving on from the Department of Defense's fantastical research arm for an unspecified "senior executive position" with the folks from Mountain View. Dugan's served in her role for the past three years, winning over the likes of the Pentagon by shifting her agency's focus from out-there R&D experiments to more practical military applications, while also ruffling a few feathers with her brazen statements. No word was given on when exactly she'll officially join the search giant's ranks other than a vague mention of "sometime in the next few weeks." Look out Uncle Sam, the Google brain drain's got its sights set on you. Now, no government sector is safe.

DARPA director exits agency for Google, assumes mysterious role originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cornell scientists perform optical illusion, herald invisibility through bending of light (video)

Zachary Lutz — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:08:00 EST

Taken at face value, you'd almost think that Cornell scientists had successfully bent the fabric of time. With gobs of fiber optics at their disposal, the researchers have devised a method to distort light in a way that makes events in time undetectable to observers. Initial success in this Pentagon-backed invisibility project has cloaked an event for 40 trillionths of a second, leading Cornell scientists to tout, "You kind of create a hole in time where an event takes place. You just don't know that anything ever happened."

The feat is performed by separating light into more fundamental wavelengths, first by slowing the red and speeding the blue. A resultant gap forms in the beam, which leaves a small window for subterfuge. Then, as the light passes through another set of fibers -- which slow the blue and speed the red -- light reaches the observer as if no disturbance had taken place at all. While the brilliant researchers ultimately imagine art thieves being able to pass undetected through museums with this method, the immediate challenge will be in prolonging the light gap. This could prove frustrating, however, due to the scattering and dispersion effects of light. As Cornell scientists dream of their ultimate heist, visual learners will most certainly want to check the video after the break.

Continue reading Cornell scientists perform optical illusion, herald invisibility through bending of light (video)

Cornell scientists perform optical illusion, herald invisibility through bending of light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA to develop biometric sensor capable of seeing through walls, pulling your heartstrings

Amar Toor — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:54:00 EST

The feds may soon know the way to your heart. Literally. Earlier this month, the forward-thinkers over at DARPA announced plans to develop new technologies capable of identifying human life through walls. The program, known as "Biometrics-at-a-distance," would essentially combine two pre-existing Pentagon projects: the Radar Scope, a device that can see through walls, and 2009's LifeReader, a system that uses Doppler radar to detect heartbeats. Though the military already employs a handful of devices to help soldiers see humans from behind walls, DARPA apparently thinks there's room for improvement. Most contemporary technologies, for example, only work from a maximum distance of eight meters, and aren't as accurate within more densely populated areas. DARPA wants its next project to extend this range beyond ten meters, while sharpening its ability to penetrate thicker obstructions. The agency also wants its sensor to identify individual humans using electrocardiography, which traces the heart's electrical activity. According to DARPA, this could allow users to pinpoint up to ten people at the same time, which could pay dividends during disaster rescue efforts, military operations, or your next Eyes Wide Shut party.

DARPA to develop biometric sensor capable of seeing through walls, pulling your heartstrings originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes (update: lost in flight)

Amar Toor — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST

All eyes are on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today, where DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 unmanned aircraft is scheduled to launch into space at hypersonic speeds, as part of a critical test flight. Measuring just 12 feet in length, the HTV-2 maxes out at a speed of about ~~1300~~ 16,700 miles per hour (Mach 22), theoretically allowing it to jet from New York to Los Angeles in just 12 minutes and to reach anywhere in the world in less than an hour. The main obstacle, however, has been transitioning from theory to practice. During its first test flight back in April, the craft lasted just nine minutes before intentionally crashing, due to technical failures. DARPA still doesn't know what went wrong during that fateful test, though the agency speculates that the Falcon may have simply overheated. This time around, engineers have adjusted plane's center of gravity and angle of descent, in the hopes that their creation will fare better when it launches on the back of a Minotaur IV rocket, later today. If the test proves successful, it may help fuel similarly inter-galactic defense projects that the Pentagon is exploring as a means to combat terrorism and enemy states. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out whether this initiative actually takes off, but in the meantime, head past the break for a demo video from DARPA.

Update: Sadly, while the Minotaur IV rocket launch and separation were successful, the Falcon HTV-2 itself was lost nine minutes into its flight this morning just as its predecessor was. DARPA did manage to collect data up until the crash (somewhere in the Pacific Ocean), however, and says that it plans to review it over the coming weeks. Third time's the charm, maybe?

Continue reading DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes (update: lost in flight)

DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes (update: lost in flight) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cam-wielding RC car used to investigate roadside bomb, saves lives in Afghanistan

Zach Honig — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:55:00 EST

The US military spends billions of dollars each year beefing up wartime tech, but a low-budget hacked RC car recently served as an unlikely hero, saving six soliders' lives in Afghanistan. The home-built rig, which included a wireless security camera mounted on a Traxxas Stampede remote-controlled truck, cost about $500 when it was built in 2007. Since then, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Fessenden has used it to locate roadside bombs, until it tripped a detonation sensor during a patrol last month, in turn saving Fessenden and fellow troops from coming head-to-head with 500 pounds of explosives. Unfortunately the RC cam didn't survive the attack, so Ernie, the solider's brother who built the first model, is currently working on a replacement. Sure, a half-grand may seem like a laughable sum compared to the Pentagon's annual budget, but if the proven gadget gets enough attention, perhaps Chinese-made toys will play a role in entertaining our kids, and protecting our troops.

Cam-wielding RC car used to investigate roadside bomb, saves lives in Afghanistan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Military lightning gun parts sold on eBay, probably built in someone's garage

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:34:00 EST

We're not sure where to start with this one. It's, in a word, unbelievable. Technologist Cody Oliver was digging through eBay for parts to build a robot car that Elon Musk could drive around Burning Man, when he came across surplus equipment from defense contractors Omnitech Robotics and Ionatron. The components were originally from the military's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Neutralizers, or JINs -- remote-controlled lightning guns designed to disable IEDs. But, the story quickly goes from interesting to terrifying. Oliver soon discovered the weapons were cobbled together largely from off-the-shelf parts, including a Linksys router with the serial numbers scraped off, and lacked even basic security. The now retired JINs were controlled over a standard 802.11 WiFi signal, with the encryption turned off -- leaving the multimillion dollar devices vulnerable to insurgents. Ultimately the parts were deemed unfit for even Musk's RC art car. You can read all of the horrifying details at the source link.

[Thanks, Chris]

[Image credit: Cody Oliver]

Military lightning gun parts sold on eBay, probably built in someone's garage originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA setting up a $130 million 'virtual firing range' to help battle cyber attacks

Vlad Savov — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:49:00 EST

The US government is serious about online security, just ask any one of its cyber commandos. Adding to its arsenal for battling the big bad hackers, Reuters reports that DARPA is working on a National Cyber Range, which would act a standalone internet simulation engine where digital warriors can be trained and experimental ideas tested out. Lockheed Martin and Johns Hopkins University are competing to provide the final system, with one of them expected to soon get the go-ahead for a one-year trial, which, if all goes well, will be followed by DARPA unleashing its techies upon the virtual firing range in earnest next year. The cost of the project is said to run somewhere near $130 million, which might have sounded a bit expensive before the recent spate of successful hacking attacks on high profile private companies, but now seems like a rational expenditure to ensure the nuclear missile codes and the people crazy enough to use them are kept at a safe distance from one another. DARPA has a pair of other cleverly titled cybersecurity schemes up its sleeve, called CRASH and CINDER, but you'll have to hit the source link to learn more about them.

DARPA setting up a $130 million 'virtual firing range' to help battle cyber attacks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon says cyber attacks are acts of war: send us a worm, get a missile in return?

Michael Gorman — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:43:00 EST

Well, the Pentagon is finally fed up with hackers picking on its buddies and foreign intelligence taking shots at its computer systems, and has decided that such cyber attacks can constitute an act of war. Of course, the powers that be won't be bombing you for simply sending them some spyware, but attempts to sabotage US infrastructure (power grids, public transit, and the like) may be met with heavy artillery. It's unclear how our government will identify the origin of an attack or decide when it's serious enough to start shooting, but Uncle Sam is looking to its allies to help create a consensus answer for those questions. The retaliatory revelation is a part of the Pentagon's new cyber strategy that'll be made public in June -- so saboteurs beware, your next internet incursion might get you an ICBM in your backyard.

Pentagon says cyber attacks are acts of war: send us a worm, get a missile in return? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

'Miraculous' Aeros airship set to fly by 2013, thanks to DOD funding

Jesse Hicks — Mon, 09 May 2011 05:38:00 EST

Are you nostalgic for a time when the word "zeppelin" stood for leisurely intercontinental travel for the rich and famous, rather than bass-heavy portable sound and MotoBlur phones? Take heart, as Ukrainian entrepreneur Igor Pasternak claims to have solved the "buoyancy problem" that has long limited the usefulness of airships. The problem is that burning fuel or dropping cargo lightens the ship, which then needs to vent costly helium to return to earth; without a way to control buoyancy, take-offs and landings become complicated to the point of uselessness. Pasternak claims to have solved this sticking point by compressing the pricey gas, thereby conserving it for later use. The Defense Department (which loves its warblimps) has contracted his company, Aeros, to provide a working demonstration by 2012-13. Dubbed Pelican, it will only fly without a payload at first -- but if the technology proves feasible, we might just see a new Era of Airships.

'Miraculous' Aeros airship set to fly by 2013, thanks to DOD funding originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 05:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

iRobot agrees to provide US Navy with bomb disposal and recon bots in a deal worth up to $230 million

Vlad Savov — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:24:00 EST

iRobot may still be best known as the creator of the homely Roomba vacuum-cleaning drone, but savvy readers will know the company's endeavors span a pretty broad range of robot-related activities. One of those has now borne fruit in the shape of a multiyear agreement with the US Navy for the provision of "portable robotic systems" that can identify and dispose of explosives while also performing a bit of reconnaissance work in their spare time. The announcement doesn't tell us the particular model(s) or number of bots that will be provided, but there is clarification to say that iRobot will be responsible for providing spares, repairs, training, and accessories along with the hardware, with the total revenue for the company potentially swelling to $230 million over the full course of the contract, which lasts through 2015. Our guess is that the "throwable" robot shown off a couple of weeks back would be a good candidate for this task, though we doubt it'll be thanking us for endorsing it for such perilous work.

iRobot agrees to provide US Navy with bomb disposal and recon bots in a deal worth up to $230 million originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Operation Cyber Storm III underway, makes digital certificates cool again

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:47:00 EST

Fans of cyberwarfare (which we are, if only because we like to imagine that it looks like Battlezone) take note: following hot on the heels previous Cyber Storm I and II and Cyber ShockWave wargames, the Department of Homeland Security is sponsoring a little something called Cyber Storm III. Starting yesterday, the three-day exercise simulates more than 1,500 different types of attack, with a special emphasis on identities, trust relationships, and digital certificates. As Brett Lambo, director of Homeland Security's Cyber Exercise Program, told AFP, "we're kind of using the Internet to attack itself. At a certain point the operation of the Internet is reliant on trust -- knowing where you're going is where you're supposed to be." The exercise will test the National Cyber Incident Response Plan as well as the new National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. But you can breathe easily: the operation is focusing on defense, not offense (for now).

Operation Cyber Storm III underway, makes digital certificates cool again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Raytheon's pain gun finally gets deployed in Afghanistan (update: recalled)

Sean Hollister — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST

It's been six long years since we first got wind of the Pentagon's Active Denial System, and four since it was slated to control riots in Iraq, but though we've seen reporters zapped by the device once or twice, it seems the Air Force-approved pain gun is only now entering service in Afghanistan. The BBC reports the device -- which generates a targeted burning sensation in humans -- is now deployed with US troops, though a military spokesman is assuring publications that it "has not been used operationally," and that the armed forces have yet to decide whether to actually use it. Wired reports the unit was plagued by technical and safety issues for years, not to mention political concerns, but as to that last we have to imagine even a semi-damaging heat ray beats the pants off lead-based alternatives.

Update: Sorry folks, false alarm -- a Air Force spokesperson just informed us that though the pain gun was indeed sent to Afghanistan, it's now being returned to the US without ever seeing use.

Raytheon's pain gun finally gets deployed in Afghanistan (update: recalled) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA longs for magnetic body healers, crazy respawn camps

Darren Murph — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:22:00 EST

Even DARPA understands that its futuristic bubble shield can be penetrated given the right circumstances, and when it does, the soldier behind it is going to need some serious healing. In a hurry. In the entity's newest budget, there's $6.5 million tucked away "for the creation of a scaffold-free tissue engineering platform, which would allow the construction of large, complex tissues in vitro and in vivo." As you well know, this type of mad science has been around for quite some time, and now it looks as if DARPA is ready for the next best thing: "non-contact forces." Put simply, this alludes to replacing scaffolds with magnetic fields or dielectrophoresis, which could purportedly "control cell placement in a desired pattern for a sufficient period of time to allow the cells to synthesize their own scaffold." It's still too early to say how close we are to being able to instantaneously heal soldiers on the battlefield, but frankly, the public is apt to never know for sure.

DARPA longs for magnetic body healers, crazy respawn camps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Portable pain gun could replace Colt 45s, logic in robot-controlled future

Darren Murph — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:27:00 EST

The Pentagon has been dreaming of portable pain guns for as long as we can remember, and if it has its druthers, said fantasy could soon become a reality. The Thermal Laser System (or the IR-Lesslethal device, if you prefer) has been brewing since at least 2005, but just recently the weapon prove to testers that it could create a beam strong enough to cause alarm and pain without actually damaging the skin or retina. Think of it as a portable crowd controller (or your worst nightmare, either one). Of course, there's still quite a bit of testing to get through before it's actually rolled out for military or police use, and there's the fact that leaving no marks leaves open the possibility for undocumentable abuse. Not like that would ever happen, though.

[Image courtesy of Deeper Thought]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Portable pain gun could replace Colt 45s, logic in robot-controlled future originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Movie Gadget Friday: Weird Science

Ariel Waldman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:31:00 EST

Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema.

We last left off on the cyberpunk streets of LA in Strange Days. This week, in honor of the loss of the man behind so many 1980's icons, Movie Gadget Friday is paying homage to filmmaker John Hughes with a look into the 1985 cult-classic Weird Science. Tapping into the geek-fiction fantasies of most tinkering teenagers, real-life gadget specs are stretched to surreal capabilities to create the ultimate female bombshell. It's without surprise that the character's name, Lisa, was inspired by the Apple Lisa, Apple's first GUI computer.

Continue reading Movie Gadget Friday: Weird Science

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Movie Gadget Friday: Weird Science originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Raytheon sells its first 'pain ray,' and the less lethal arms race begins

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:14:00 EST

As you are no doubt aware, one of the perks of being in the corporate security field is that you get to try out things that would come across as, well, unseemly if put in the hands of the government. While there's been some controversy over the possible use of Raytheon's 10,000 pound "portable" Silent Guardian by the military, it appears that at least one private customer has no such qualms. We're not sure exactly who placed the order -- news of an "Impending Direct Commercial Sale" was just one bullet point of many at Raytheon's recent presentation at a NATO workshop on anti-pirate technologies. The company itself is being mum on the subject, saying that it would be "premature" to name names at the present time, but rest assured -- this is only the beginning. As soon as these things are small enough to fit in your briefcase or glove compartment, every nut in your neighborhood will want one. In the mean time, looks like you're stuck with the Taser. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon sells its first 'pain ray,' and the less lethal arms race begins originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

DARPA contractor shows off tiny robo-hummingbird UAV

Donald Melanson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:57:00 EST

We've seen plenty of tiny UAVs (or NAVs -- Nano Aerial Vehicles -- as they're also known), but none quite like the robo-hummingbird that's been in development at DARPA-contractor AeroVironment for the past couple of years. While we haven't heard much about it during that time, the company recently completed its most advanced prototype to date, dubbed Mercury, and it's taken advantage of the opportunity to show off all the progress it has made. As you can see in the video after the break, the bot is able to fly about and hover in place by mimicking the wing movement of a real hummingbird and, of course, be controlled completely untethered. What's more, the firm says that the final version will actually look like a real hummingbird as well, and be able to be controlled from up to a kilometer away -- even inside buildings, where a hummingbird won't look at all out of place.

[Via Danger Room]

Continue reading DARPA contractor shows off tiny robo-hummingbird UAV

Filed under: Robots

DARPA contractor shows off tiny robo-hummingbird UAV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

White House, Pentagon announce plans for new cybersecurity positions

Donald Melanson — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:51:00 EST

It's just been a few short months since a proposed bill called for the creation of a National Cybersecurity Advisor, but it looks like there's now not one but two new positions in the offing, with both the Pentagon and President Obama himself announcing plans for some newly elevated offices charged with keeping the nation's networks secure. While a specific "Cybersecurity Czar" hasn't yet been named, the White House position will apparently be a member of both the National Security Council and National Economic Council and, in addition to coordinating U.S. response in the event of a major attack, the office will also be tasked with protecting privacy and civil liberties. Details on the new Pentagon office, on the other hand, are expectedly even less specific although, according to The New York Times, it'll be a military command that will work to coordinate efforts now scattered across the four armed services, and will apparently serve as complement to the civilian office in the White House.

Read - Reuters, "Obama to name White House cybersecurity czar"
Read - The New York Times, "Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Cyberspace Wars"

[Thanks, Ryan]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Networking

White House, Pentagon announce plans for new cybersecurity positions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Boeing's Airborne Laser begins flight tests, future uncertain

Donald Melanson — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:28:00 EST

Boeing was pretty bullish about its aircraft-mounted laser system only a few short months ago, but it looks the program's future is now considerably more uncertain, even as the sole aircraft to be equipped with the rig begins its first flight tests. Apparently, everything with the tests themselves has been going according to plan, with both the high-energy laser itself and the "beam control / fire control apparatus" along for the ride, and Boeing is even reportedly still on track for a missile-intercept demonstration later this year. The recent funding shakeup at the Pentagon, however, has thrown Boeing and its partners in the project for a bit of a loop, with the department now apparently intending to keep only one of the planes in service (instead of the proposed seven) as it transitions the rest of the program towards a purely R&D effort.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Boeing's Airborne Laser begins flight tests, future uncertain originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Raytheon developing compact, inexpensive human microwaves

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:09:00 EST

As you know, if you like your weapons "less than lethal" (but much more than comfortable) the U.S. military is your go-to guy. So great is its love for tormenting folks on future battlefields that the Pentagon has spent a small fortune on devices meant to incapacitate through the use of sound, electricity, and microwaves -- including the Silent Guardian that Raytheon trotted out a while back. According to Wired, the company has recently been awarded a couple interesting contracts relating to their human microwave, including one for a "solid state source for use in non-lethal weapons," and another for gallium nitride development. Details are murky, but GaN -- a semiconductor for missile defense radars -- apparently "looks very promising for high-power microwave amplification," allowing the company to greatly reduce the size and cost of the device. The good news? Defense technology that once took up a whole shipping container and cost several million dollars might be getting much smaller, and cheaper, in the future. The bad news? It really really really hurts.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon developing compact, inexpensive human microwaves originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

M-25 portable fuel cell takes home $1 million Pentagon prize

Darren Murph — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:03:00 EST

Unfortunately for you budding energy stars out there, the Pentagon's latest contest is over, so you've no choice here but to grit your teeth and applaud both DuPont and Germany's Smart Fuel Cell. Out of the 170 teams vying for the $1 million prize, these two managed to impress the most; the winning gizmo was the M-25 portable power system, which is already being sold to the US Army for "limited use in the field." Contestants were tasked with creating a new wearable power solution to juice up energy-hungry military gear (GPS units, night-vision goggles, head-mounted PMPs, etc.) without weighing soldiers down, and the winning device combined "DuPont's direct-methanol fuel cell technology with SFC's fuel cell and battery system." Yeah, we're totally expecting a PSP / DS compatible version of this before the holidays.

[Via FuelCellWorks, thanks Adam]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

M-25 portable fuel cell takes home $1 million Pentagon prize originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cyborg insects survive to adulthood, ensure our doom

Darren Murph — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:51:00 EST

Remember those cyborg insects that seemed so much like a pipe dream just two short years ago? Yeah, those frackin' things have somehow survived into adulthood, and are closing in on being ready to infiltrate enemy camps and extract vital information. According to a recent update on the DARPA project, the insects -- which have "modified body structures and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) embedded" within -- have lasted into adulthood, and now those behind the endeavor are hoping to enable remote control of the bugs via "mechano-sensor activation" or something similar. Additionally, scientists are hoping to harness the energy emitted during locomotion to actually power the internal MEMS. Sure, as long as these critters can be swatted down with a newspaper, we're solid, but we aren't too sure we dig where this could be headed.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Robots

Cyborg insects survive to adulthood, ensure our doom originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cost of shooting down a spy satellite: $60m. Look on Alien's face when the missile hits: priceless.

Joshua Topolsky — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:31:00 EST

Sure, it seemed like the Pentagon had things wrapped up when they told us that they'd be aiming their rockets skyward and blasting that pesky zombie-spore and / or Alien-carrying satellite out of the sky. Of course, they failed to tell us the price: sixty million dollars. What seemed at first to be a simple game of Missile Command has become an extensive military operation, involving modified rockets and control systems, hundreds of industry experts and scientists, as well as the Aegis sea-defense cruiser accompanied by two destroyers. The Navy will wait until the space shuttle lands next Wednesday before beginning operations, and they say they're fully prepared to bring W.O.P.R. online if anything goes wrong. The kicker? They'll probably miss.

[Thanks, Laura]

Update: Apparently Russia is calling the whole operation a cover for the US government to test out a new anti-sat tactical missile system. Ok, we wouldn't rule that option out, but it's not like the concept of shooting down satellites is so revolutionary, right? We mean, haven't governments been capable of blowing up satellites for decades, now? Thanks, Mukul.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Cost of shooting down a spy satellite: $60m. Look on Alien's face when the missile hits: priceless. originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon to shoot down renegade spy satellite

Joshua Topolsky — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:48:00 EST

Good news, everyone! Remember that Alien-infested, out of control satellite we told you about a few weeks ago? Well, the US government has finally put together a plan to avoid the civilization-decimating disaster that would have resulted from its impact with Earth: they're gonna blow it up. That's right -- US officials have confirmed that they're going to use modified SM-3 missiles fired from a cruiser and destroyer off the Northwest coast of Hawaii to take the thing out. The weapons have additional fuel and new software which will allow them to reach the object in orbit, thus blasting it to smithereens. The resulting impact will leave nothing but "space junk," which will endlessly pollute the galaxy until we're wiped out by a reverse "Big Bang" or doomsday device. You may now return to your overpriced latté.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Pentagon to shoot down renegade spy satellite originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon's "Cyber Storm" war game simulates blogger leaks, train disorder -- wait, blogger leaks?

Nilay Patel — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:03:00 EST

You've got to give the Pentagon credit for imagining every possible threat scenario in its latest wargame, dubbed "Cyber Storm," but the plotline this time around is pretty wild. Starting with an electronic attack on the Port Authority of New Jersey, major new networks and bloggers spread "believable but misleading" information without revealing their sources -- all while hundreds of people on the "no-fly" list stream into airports, DC's Metro trains shut down, air traffic control towers in Philly and Chicago are disrupted, and mysterious liquids are found on the tube in London. That's quite an afternoon, but we're taking offense to the Pentagon's classification of the press and bloggers as "threats" -- come on guys, we're here to help. We wouldn't spread rumors -- there's nothing at all in the hollowed-out left leg of the front pew at St. Micheal's Church in Fort Walton, Kansas.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Pentagon's "Cyber Storm" war game simulates blogger leaks, train disorder -- wait, blogger leaks? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon prepping non-lethal "light and sound" weapon

Evan Blass — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:31:00 EST

Blissfully unaware that it's up against a generation raised in the sensory madhouses known as techno clubs, the Pentagon is reportedly working on a non-lethal weapon that utilizes light and sound to sicken and disorient targets. Like Homeland Security's "pukelight," the so-called Distributed Sound and Light Array Debilitator being developed by Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory is meant to induce a feeling of nauseousness, in this case combining light patterns with "aversive noises." So yeah, like we said, sounds pretty effective unless you happen to run into a group of insurgents hardened by years of all-night raving and the accompanying neurological damage.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Pentagon prepping non-lethal "light and sound" weapon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Space solar power potential highlighted in report

Conrad Quilty-Harper — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:40:00 EST

A report into the feasibility of space-based power rigs that would beam solar power down to earth in the form of microwaves has been published, with its findings being along the lines of "yes, it'll happen, but only when the money's there." The Pentagon is itching to get its hands on the technology, which would include mirrors several miles wide focusing sunlight onto solar cells, highlighting the potential for beaming energy to remote regions of the world (read: wherever they're fighting.) The problem is more of an economic one, with the technology behind the project apparently being feasible since the 70s: only now that oil prices have tripled, and the technology has become greatly more efficient, is an actual space installation seeming realistic. In fact, we could see early efforts for the giant mirrors as soon as 2012: any bets that they'll double as death rays?

Filed under: Wireless

Space solar power potential highlighted in report originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

"Laughing bullets" considered by Pentagon

Donald Melanson — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:05:00 EST

Taking a slightly different tact than DARPA's very lethal laser-guided bullets, the Pentagon reportedly once considered the Get Smart-esque idea non-lethal "laughing bullets," which would apparently collapse and release laughing gas (or other chemical agents) when they hit their target. According to NewScientist, the bullets would have the advantage of being compatible with regular rifles, and supposedly be safe over their entire range. Judging from the description, they'd also apparently have the ability to send folks into a Three Stooges routine, allowing the military to effectively "punch, slap and hit an individual repetitively from a distance." Despite pouring close to $100,000 into the idea, however, the bullets don't seem to have met with the DoD's satisfaction and were ultimately shelved -- at least, that's what they're saying "officially."

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

"Laughing bullets" considered by Pentagon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NSSO ponders harvesting solar energy via satellites

Darren Murph — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:15:00 EST

When you've already got colleagues dreaming up space sunshades, all of a sudden harvesting energy from outside of the Earth's atmosphere doesn't sound like such a stretch. Apparently, ambitious individuals at the Pentagon's National Security Space Office (NSSO) may "begin a study in the near future on the possibility of using satellites to collect solar energy for use on Earth." Notably, the plan actually seeks to not only provide an alternate source of fuel to the oil-dependent dwellers here on Mother Earth, but it would hopefully provide ample energy "to US troops in bases or on the battlefield." As impossible as it may sound, the present probably isn't a bad time to consider such an endeavor now that solar cells are becoming increasingly efficient, and since an actual deployment wouldn't even be in the cards until "around 20 years" from now, it's not like there's oodles of time to waste.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

NSSO ponders harvesting solar energy via satellites originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon to implement global DVR-like surveillance?

Jeannie Choe — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:53:00 EST

The Pentagon's Defense Science Board released a report suggesting a pervasive system to observe and record activity in urban areas and hard-to-monitor settings across the globe -- in other words, they'd like to TiVo the entire planet for playback (or at least as much of it as they can for intelligence gathering purposes). The study mentions DVR-like technology that would be used to "run recorded time backwards to help identify and locate even low-level enemy forces," referencing the types of threats U.S. forces encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan. The proposal also seeks to minimize the use of human personnel, and instead, employ various autonomous monitoring methods, from tiny environmental data-collecting sensors to unmanned aerial vehicles. So basically, the plan is to keep a hawk eye on all areas of concern -- up to tens of thousands of square kilometers with targets as specific as an individual person, object, or activity. No word on if, or when, the military might be rolling this out.

[Via Slashdot]

Read - Reuters
Read - Wired

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Pentagon to implement global DVR-like surveillance? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon plans ultrasonic curtain to muffle loud tanks

Darren Murph — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:43:00 EST

Although Macroswiss' giraffe pole could certainly lend our soldiers a hand in peeking across enemy lines, someone with a good bit of execution authority would rather we take a more direct approach to encroaching on the baddies. A Pentagon-based budget layout has revealed plans for an "ultrasonic curtain" to be constructed in a presumed attempt to "significantly" muffle vehicles and loud machinery in order to get our troops closer to foes without being noticed. While the actual construction plans aren't entirely laid out, the device will purportedly use "directed ultrasound technology to enable the capability to significantly reduce sound emissions from large scale tactical military hardware," and they hope to lower noise by "at least 30-decibels" in order to allows troops to operate in close proximity to the enemy without being detected aurally. Of course, cracking trees and unforeseen sneezes could still remain a problem, but there are already plans in place to "validate the theoretical models in laboratory settings," estimate the power required to sustain such a sound shield, and to design a finished product that can cover "a truck-sized vehicle." Sadly, it doesn't seem that this project will be integrating the invisibility cloak already discovered, so a flurry of bubble boy jokes is bound to arise.

Wired]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Pentagon plans ultrasonic curtain to muffle loud tanks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

VeriChip wants to chip every US soldier

Donald Melanson — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 05:43:00 EST

Despite some pretty significant security concerns, everyone's favorite futurific company VeriChip is looking to get its chips under the skin of the largest group of people yet: the entire US military. According to the DC Examiner, the company is lobbying the Pentagon to choose its RFID tags as a replacement for the famous metal dog tags, making information like a person's name and complete medical record instantly available with the swipe of an RFID reader. Needless to say, not everyone's sold on the idea, with veterans' groups and some members of Congress already raising concerns. There doesn't seem to be any indication as to when a decision might be made, although given VeriChip's political connections, we wouldn't be so quick to bet against it.

[Via Newsmax]

Filed under: Wireless

VeriChip wants to chip every US soldier originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pentagon plan to save endangered satellites not without risks

Evan Blass — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:59:00 EST

As you may or may not know (we sure didn't), all those satellites orbiting our little ball of blue are highly susceptible to traumatic events such as intense solar storms or space-based nuclear blasts, and would likely be crippled by the resulting swarm of charged particles. The big brains at the Pentagon are aware of this danger, of course, and have come up with a solution called "radiation belt remediation" that would employ even more sats to broadcast low frequency radio waves into particle filled areas, creating so-called wave-particle interactions that would encourage the pesky molecules to fall harmlessly into the Earth's upper atmosphere. Sounds like a great plan, except a team of researchers at New Zealand's University of Otago believe that all those charged particles in the ionosphere would absorb the vital communications signals that are normally supposed to be reflected back down to terra firma. Long story short, by saving the satellites, communications on the ground would be severely hampered, affecting everyone from military personnel to amateur radio hobbyists -- and in a worst case scenario, GPS signal quality and accuracy could be severely degraded, much to the dismay of the burgeoning geocaching community. Still, if this is the only option we've got in the face of a nuclear attack, losing ground -based communications for a week or so is a small price to pay in order to save hundreds of satellites; we can deal with our in-car sat nav systems acting screwy for a little while, but we must protect our ability to receive XM/Sirius and DISH/DirecTV broadcasts at all costs.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Pentagon plan to save endangered satellites not without risks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flying suicide bomber drones could be almost unstoppable

Evan Blass — Sun, 07 May 2006 21:00:00 EST

If you thought the 12-gauge shotgun-wielding AutoCopter was bad news, imagine one of the little menaces in the hands of a terrorist and strapped with several pounds of explosives -- or worse, biological, chemical, or radiological payloads. Several experts are warning that we are nearly defenseless against such attacks, even though terrorists have already shown a propensity for using such tactics in the Middle East and South America, and are known to have purchased so-called "drone" airplanes capable of high-precision navigation even over long distances. One scenario that is particularly disturbing involves a fleet of drones or robotic helicopters launched from an off-shore freighter, sent en masse to attack a large gathering like a sporting event where stampeding from panic would likely cause more deaths than the bombs themselves. The Pentagon is supposedly working on an drone-killing drone of its own, called Peregrine, that would patrol the skies and intercept any hostile aircraft -- but the main problem seems to be finding, not destroying these things, and you'd need a whole lot of Peregrines to cover every potential target in the US.

[Via Phys Org]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, GPS, Robots

Flying suicide bomber drones could be almost unstoppable originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 May 2006 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments