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DARPA eying adaptable, scalable networks to help soldiers communicate
DARPA's latest initiative is far from revolutionary -- we've seen a number of installations aimed at improving communication in times of war -- but the Wireless Adaptive Network Development (WAND) project looks to "exploit commercial radio components, rather than custom ones," to "keep soldiers linked with each other on the battlefield." Essentially, soldiers would be equipped with $500 handheld radios that would form far-reaching ad hoc networks that could "shift frequencies and sidestep interference" to make communications more pervasive and more reliable. Interestingly, WAND is reportedly set to be demonstrated as early as January of next year, but there's no telling how long it'll take for the project to become fully operational. [Via Slashdot, image courtesy of SOCOM]
DARPA's Urban Challenge set to roll Saturday with 11 robotic cars
Oh man, can you taste it? That oily titanium tang is the smack of robotic cars set for release Saturday in the DARPA Urban Challenge. The final event pits 11 vehicles in competition for a $2 million first, $1M second, and $500k third place prizes. The 60-mile course at the former George Air Force Base in Victorville CA must be successfully navigated in less than 6-hours while avoiding about 50 carbon-based drivers. Can Stanford repeat their 2005 Grand Challenge victory with "Junior" or will Carnegie Mellon's "Boss" (pictured) bust out a BFG-9000 in swift retribution? Tune in Saturday to find out.
DARPA's robotic arm demoed
Boston Globe reporter Scott Kirsner got a chance to go behind the scenes with DARPA's much publicized robotic arm, designed by a team led by Dean Kamen. The video includes an interview with Dean, along with some footage of the arm itself, including a symbolic handshake between the reporter and humanity's future destroyer (or if not, the ancestor of humanity's future destroyer.) Anyway, the video offers some interesting insight into the development of what could eventually be a truly bionic arm: check it out after the break.
DARPA sets it sights on shotgun-deployed camera network
DARPA's already dropped a chunk of cash on some tiny, camera-equipped scout robots, but it looks like the ever-funding agency isn't satisfied with its surveillance options just yet, with it now turning to a camera network that has a rather unique means of being deployed. As DefenseNews reports, the cameras developed by CDM Optics are capable of surviving terminal velocity drops, meaning they could be deployed from high-altitude aircraft or even fired from a shot gun. In the latter case, the cameras could apparently be affixed to a spike and fired at walls, forming an ad-hoc network to cover a particular area. While complete details on the cameras are obviously a bit light, they apparently have "surprisingly good performance" and are said to be "very cheap." While there's no word on further development of that particular system just yet, DARPA's larger ELASTIC program has reportedly netted some other results, including an "electronically steered imager array" developed by Toyon and JPL, which has now received some follow-on funding. [Via Danger Room]
Anti-projectile net could protect soldiers
We've seen a wide array of devices that tip off the good guys to approaching enemies, hunt down IEDs, and send back live video of opposing camps, but a new patent application lays out plans to construct a specialized net that could actually detonate incoming grenades or rockets before they strike their intended target(s). More specifically, the app calls for a "protection system featuring a flexible packaged net" that could be attached to a military vehicle, which could then be deployed if onboard sensors pick up "incoming threats" such as an RPG. Another perk would be the relatively low cost of manufacturing and the ease of moving from one tank to another, but as these things always go, there's no telling when (or if) we'll see this technology in action. [Via NewScientist]
Robot "dog" crosses obstacles, lacks head
To be honest, we're not sure if Boston Dynamics decision to not include a head on its so-called "LittleDog" makes the bot more or less creepy, but it sure is pretty darn impressive either way. It's claim to fame, and the result of $1.5 million in funding from DARPA, is its ability to cross harsh terrain with relative ease, relying on an array of sensors that measure joint angles, body orientation, and foot/ground contact. As you can see in the video after the break, the whole system appears to work remarkably well, with the bot only encountering a few minor hiccups during its rock-climbing adventure. No word on any future plans for the bot just yet, but with DARPA behind it, we're guessing it'll be attracting some slightly different owners than its robot canine companions.[Via SlashGear]Update: We overlooked this at first, but it turns out LittleDog isn't Boston Dynamics' first foray into headless robot dogs, with the company's BigDog also able to climb hills, and carry a 120 pound load to boot.
MIT shows off load-bearing exoskeleton
While it isn't exactly treading new ground, MIT's new exoskeleton looks to boast more than enough robotics-enhanced super strength to garner some attention for itself, not to mention some interest from the folks at DARPA, who funded the project. As with similar systems, MIT's rig is designed to let individuals carry loads far heavier than they are normally able to, in this case taking 80 percent of the weight off an 80 pound load carried on a person's back. Unlike other systems, however, MIT's exoskeleton only requires a very small one watt power source, as opposed to the much larger gasoline engines used on some other rigs. The system apparently isn't quite perfected just yet though, as it currently "impedes the natural walking gait of the person wearing it," something MIT says it plans to improve. [Via The Register]
MIT takes on DARPA's Urban Challenge
MIT -- long known for winning all sorts of competitions involving modern technology -- has entered into another heated contest which will test its mettle against a wide-variety of opponents... and that contest is the DARPA Urban Challenge. DARPA, who we know and love for its fantastic flights of scientific fancy (see the shoot-through shield and laser-guided bullets) has posed a challenge to contestants to create an autonomous auto (AKA a self-controlled vehicle) which can traverse an urban landscape (such as city streets) all by its lonesome. To create such a vehicle, a team at MIT has taken a typical Land Rover, outfitted it with 40 CPU "cores", high-end GPS receivers, inertial sensors, laser scanners called LIDAR (light detection and ranging), highly sensitive odometers, and a slew of video cameras. The team hopes to pool all of these disparate sensing technologies into a cohesive whole which will imbue their vehicle the preternatural ability to operate on its own in an urban setting. These are truly exciting times to be a car.
Rocket-powered mechanical arm might boost prosthetic tech
A group of researchers at Vanderbilt have built a mechanical arm that outperforms traditional battery-powered prosthetics the old-fashioned way: by strapping on a couple rocket motors. The arm, which the team built for DARPA's Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 program, relies on a modified miniature version of the same rocket motors the space shuttle uses to reposition itself in space: hydrogen peroxide is burned in the presence of a catalyst to produce pure steam, which is then used to move the arm. Unlike the batteries in traditional arms, which die quickly, a small canister of hydrogen peroxide concealed in the arm can last up to 18 hours, and provides about the same power and functionality of a human arm. Cooler still is the method the arm deals with waste heat and steam: just like a regular arm, it's allowed to filter up through a permeable skin, producing "sweat" -- the same amount of perspiration you'd get on a warm summer day, according to the team. Check a video of the arm in action at the read link -- it's even niftier than it sounds.
New military robots showcased at DARPATech 2007
While both the Navy and Air Force have recently warmed up to a new robotic friend, a number of military bots-to-be showed their stuff at DARPATech 2007. Among the standouts were a camera-guided Little Dog, the resilient Big Dog, a backpack-portable, fully autonomous Micro Air Vehicle, and a beefed-up version of the MAV (dubbed the Organic Air Vehicle) that can reportedly hover around for two hours. The latter creation was designed to "designate ground targets from the sky and paint targets up to 15-kilometers away with its laser designator," while the MAV can monitor a 10-kilometer radius "with infrared or visible cameras in hover-and-stare mode." The aforementioned canines seem to be terrain navigators, which could potentially be studied to improve the locomotion of walking machines in general. Go on, click through for a few glimpses of these friendly fellows -- they aren't armed, yet.
DARPA-funded bionic arm gets second prototype
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, no strangers to reaching for seemingly unattainable goals in medical science, have set their sights on what some consider to be the ultimate pursuit of modern prosthetics: a bionic arm that moves, looks and feels like its human counterpart. And they want to do it by 2009. An earlier prototype of the arm, the Proto 1, was shown in April of this year, and now the team of scientists is scrambling to ready the arm's second iteration, the Proto 2, in time to show it off this week at the 25th Darpa Systems and Technology Symposium (where it will likely be joined by Dean Kamen's Darpa funded bionic arm). Researchers hope that the prothesis, which is currently controlled by skin-surface-attached myoelectric sensors, can be made more intuitive by adding injectable sensors, which send increased amounts of signals (and have improved clarity) allowing for greater control of the arm. In time, the team hopes to move to nerve-attached electrodes, or electrode arrays implanted on the brain, which will eventually allow for full user dexterity.[Via Wired]
Let your PS3 drive you to work!
For those not in the know, there's this thing held every so often called the DARPA challenge where people modify cars to drive themselves across the land, instead of having people doing the, er, footwork. Anyway, San Diego based group Axion Racing was tired from making the cars drive themselves -- it was too easy, they said. So they decided to take a PS3 running Linux, slap it into the car, and have it process a series of camera information to assist in keeping the car on the road.Yet another insane use for the PS3 and the Cell processor, if you ask us. This must be the only console to have such limitless applications, but this one borders on ridiculous. We're not saying it's a bad idea or it's sort of silly, but it has that "if we can do it, let's" vibe. It's an unnecessary way to do things, but Axion Racing is going to prove that the PS3 can, in fact, drive you to work if you let it.[Thanks, Jason!]
Linux-equipped PS3 to be used in DARPA Urban Challenge
While we're sure a number of you have a Yellow Dog Linux-equipped PS3 around for leisure's sake, Axion Racing is using a similar setup to "manage one of seven autonomous vehicle cameras." The San Diego-based team is reportedly eager to show onlookers "things [other than gaming and Blu-ray playing] that can be done using a PlayStation console," and expects the device to mesh well with its array of Dell computers, SICK laser finders, Bumblebee stereo cameras, and FLIR infrared cameras." Of course, who knows what could happen if a stray android climbs on board and fires up a round of MotorStorm while it's trying to concentrate.
DARPA plans "Crystal Ball" to predict the future
It looks like the Navy's not the only one keen on predicting the future these days, with the ever-experimenting folks at DARPA now also getting in on the act with a proposed solution of their own. Dubbed "Deep Green," the program consists of a variety of software that battlefield commanders can feed information into and get fed back forecasts of how a mission might turn out in return. At the center of the system, according to Wired's Danger Room, are two pieces of software: "Blitzkrieg," which produces combat models for commanders to consider, and "Crystal Ball," which pools a variety of information and offers up the most likely scenarios and the best course of action. We'll just have to wait and see if it actually pans out or goes the way of the laughing bullet.
Harvard University's robotic fly takes flight
In a move sure to enkindle flying robotic creatures everywhere, a new species is finally ready to join the gang, as a "life-size, robotic fly has taken flight at Harvard University." The diminutive creation weighs just 60-milligrams, sports a three-centimeter wingspan, and has been developed to boast movements "modeled on those of a real fly." Notably, this isn't the first time we've seen researchers rely on the works of nature in order to craft their own mechanical beings, and given the fly's innate ability to be an excellent spy or chemical detection agent, it's no shock to hear that DARPA is reportedly sponsoring the endeavor. As expected, taking flight was simply the first step in a long line of improvements to come, as the man behind the machine is now looking to integrate an onboard battery and create a flight controller so that the robot can move in different directions.
ASTRO, NextSat reunite once more as Orbital Express concludes
It seems like it was just yesterday when ASTRO and NextSat took to the skies galaxy in hopes of making their creators proud, but now the time has come for the two to wind down and sip exotic liquids from an umbrella-adorned glass. Thankfully, this story has somewhat of a gleeful ending, though it wasn't looking so rosy just days ago; on June 27th, the two parted ways and managed to drift some seven-kilometers apart before ASTRO used its onboard camera system (and a bit of help from ground control) to navigate back to NextSat, where it then proceeded to give its space-bound buddy a theoretical noogie. Sadly, this final scenario marks the final test in DARPA's Orbital Express demonstration, which means that the two machines now have an ominous decommission plan to look forward to.[Via NewScientist]
DARPA funds laser-guided bullets
In case you didn't know, part of DARPA's job is just to think up some totally outrageous stuff and then begin to throw money at it. Well, its brain-trust must be working overtime this month, because as a follow up to the invisible, shoot-through shield, we're getting laser-guided bullets. On the very same "budget item justification sheet" in which the aforementioned sci-fi shield is proposed, DARPA honchos "justify" the laser guided bullet project, which will fund research into a low cost, high performance solution for designing "new guidance technologies" that will enable steering of bullets in flight. The hope with this technology is that compact targeting systems (to be embedded in said projectiles) will enable "overmatching fire power" and increased "first shot effectiveness", in addition to potentially cutting down on friendly fire and collateral damage -- and retroactively making JFK's "one-gunman" assassination plausible. [Via Wired]
DARPA wants to build a better Internet
DARPA sure doesn't seem to be lacking in ambition these days, funding invisible shields, bionic arms, and not one, but two different robot races. Now, it looks to be turning to its past for ideas, with it attempting to revisit its Arpanet glory days by issuing a call for "revolutionary ideas" to rework the current Internet, The Register reports. From the looks of it, DARPA thinks there's plenty of room for improvement, stating the goal of the program as nothing less than to "improve transfer speeds, network routing efficiency, reliability, simplify network configuration, and reduce cost," adding that it's also interested in new addressing schemes to supplement the current IP scheme. Those interested in taking a shot at it can hit up the link below for all the necessary information.[Via The Register]
Darpa funds invisible, shoot-through shield
In a move seemingly influenced in equal parts by Halo and David Lynch's film Dune, Darpa has announced that it's ponying up $15 million to develop one-way-invisible, self-healing, shoot-through shields for use in urban combat. While the Pentagon's research division acknowledges that there are "significant technical obstacles" in the process, it's fairly gung-ho about developing a technology combining metamaterials, 'coded' obscurant systems, and a bunch of other stuff no one really understands. Trust us, you'll thank them if the Harkonens try and overthrow your spice-mining operation.[Via Digg]
Stanford's "Junior" Volkswagen passes first DARPA test
While it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given that they've already won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, we're sure that the team from Stanford is still pretty stoked that they've passed the first test on the way to DARPA's upcoming Urban Challenge. Or, more specifically, that "Junior" the autonomous Volkswagen Passat passed the test. It apparently wasn't entirely smooth sailing though, as the car got stuck once on a course while passing a car, although it eventually managed to recover -- it never did push it past 15 mph though. As with the other contenders, however, Junior still has a ways to go before the big race, with another, more challenging test in store later this summer that'll narrow the field down to the top thirty.[Photo courtesy of CNET]
