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DARPA puts out call for shape-shifting 'ChemBots'
Well this is just great. One of our few remaining advantages over the robots who wish to enslave us -- the ability to run away and cower in an inaccessible location -- may soon be gone forever, if DARPA's bid for softball-sized, morphing 'ChemBots' proves successful. The government's mad scientist wing wants proposals for a soft, flexible bot that is able to collapse down to a tenth of its original size, crawl through a one centimeter opening at a quarter of a meter per hour minute, and bulk back up to its original size in under 15 seconds. Think you're up for the challenge? White papers are due on May 3rd of this year, and since liquid metal robots won't be feasible until about the year 2029, interested parties better get cracking. [Via The Raw Feed]
Joint Forces Command trialing hybrid GPS technology
Taking geo-location services to a level beyond what vanilla GPS can provide has been looked at a time or two before, and apparently, the Joint Forces Command is hoping to implement a similar system on the battlefield. In a partnership with L-3 Communications, the JFC hopes to "develop a hybrid tracking system using various navigation sensors and radio waves that could be used when GPS isn't available, such as inside buildings or underground in tunnels or caves." The objectives are twofold, as it hopes to assist "field commanders keep track of individual troops as they carry out missions," and moreover, to give soldiers the ability to accurately and consistently track their own in order to keep "friendly fire deaths" from occurring. If all goes as planned, several prototypes will be loosed on the Marine Corps by May of next year, and if this here technology adds a dash of omnipresence to the men and women in uniform, it could be deployed en masse shortly thereafter. [Via DefenseTech]
Mexican government swapping Xbox / PC for gang's weaponry
Here's an interesting one. It appears that a newly-elected mayor is trying desperately to restore order to the "notorious inner-city barrio of Tepito," but rather than raiding gang hangouts and throwing 'em all in the slammer, the Mexican government is looking to reward them. In a presumably last ditch effort to curb gunfighting, officials are offering up computers ( reportedly worth $769) to gunslingers who give up a "high-caliber weapon such as a machine gun," while folks coughing up smaller artillery will be blessed with an Xbox console. Notably, the effort is already seeing minor "success," as some 17 guns were turned in on the program's launch day alone. Look, we know it's a hard choice between gaming and booze (and hair, for that matter), but we seriously doubt that turning citywide bullies into hackers and couch potatoes is the ideal solution here.
Duke researchers envision mind-controlled weaponry
The Blue Devils certainly haven't fared well on the hardwood of late, but a group of engineering minds at Duke University are thinking up ways to get even. While we can't actually confirm the motives, a recent patent filing spells out details of a device that can "use the brain's thoughts to control an array of mechanical and electrical devices, up to and including weapons." Thought-controlled interfaces have long since been available, but these researchers are suggesting that everything from household items like televisions and ovens to "weapons systems" could be used to not only "improve one's quality of life," but could actually produce thoughts that litearlly kill. Interestingly, the verbiage even mentions that the recently-ratified UWB technology could be used to beam commands from your devious brain, and although it's not surprising to find that DARPA has a hand in funding department, we're still not any closer to finding out when our military will switch from triggers to impulses. [Via Wired]
Darpa nerds want a "replicator," female companionship
Yeah yeah, we know the Trekkie lines are cheap shots, but anyone dork enough to verbalize a desire for a replicator with a straight face deserves at least a bit of gentle ribbing. Oddly enough, Darpa's desires for such a device aren't terribly far-fetched. See, those war nerds are looking for a disposable transmitter about the size of a sheet of paper that can be built on the fly. Messages up to 60 alphanumeric characters could be coded onto the "printed" device, and thanks to some stamped-on circuitry could be transmitted via pulses of light. Darpa wants this "replicator" to be prepped in 12 months, and in another 12 be shrunk to the size of a Blackberry, with the transmitters designed to last up to four days. No word on how much time is Darpa is allowing before they get hot meals delivered in such a manner.
UK scientists testing air-conditioned vests for military use
Air-conditioned vests have certainly graced the bodies of armed men and women before, but an elusive new breed is being tested in the multi-million dollar Spinnaker Building at the University of Portsmouth to ensure that it'll keep soldiers cool from the brutal conditions in Iraq. Scientists at the school weren't at will to disclose all the nitty gritty details about the classified gear, but we do know that these bad boys utilize "a combination of air, liquid, and new applications of old technologies such as converting paraffin wax into liquid in chambers within the vests to absorb heat from the body." The gist of the testing is to create a suit that actually improves one's ability to make sound judgments while in the field and under extreme conditions, and it was also mentioned that a mysterious US defense contractor is hoping to tweak these and have 'em out "within one to two years." Now, if only these things were available en masse for our poor laps, we'd really be in business.[Via Gizmag]
Zephyr's smart fabrics to gauge physiological data
Although soldiers of the future (the non-robotic variety, that is) could very well rock tactile displays on their gear, it looks like the next-generation clothing worn on the battlefield could also monitor physiological information. New Zealand firm Zephyr has developed smart textiles that are currently being shown at CeBIT, and aside from being used by the US Department of Defense to "gauge how individuals cope and react during combat situations," the garb could also be used by athletes looking to carefully measure their vitals and improve their performance. The outfit's first two offerings, a chest-worn bioharness and a shoe pod insert, are both laden with intelligent sensors that can "store and broadcast data," which could certainly become beneficial in the health, security, training, and medical markets. It's been a good run, Nike+iPod, but it looks like you've been lapped.
Lockheed Martin eyes quantum entanglement radar
We've got quantum dot lasers, cryptographic data networks, teleportation (saywha?), and a pesky company to boot, but the (in)famous defense contractor Lockheed Martin has apparently hit the loony sauce a bit too quickly on its latest patent application. In a proposed effort to concoct the ultimate omniscient radar, the firm is suggesting that it can break the boundaries of theoretical physics and create a "quantum entanglement" scanner that can "penetrate any type of defense to identify hidden weapons and roadside bombs from hundreds of miles away." The theory -- which hasn't been realized in a product just yet -- suggests that two particles can be joined so that whatever happens to one must also happen to its partner, however far apart they are, which could be used to detect contraband from faraway locales (or peek through suspicious garb). Interestingly, it doesn't seem that we're the only ones wondering just what type of Kool-Aid the outfit's R&D department is sipping, as a physicist at Manchester University has reportedly insinuated that even in the far-reaching world of quantum physics, "the mechanics are just wrong." Seriously, isn't a Big Brother blimp enough for you guys?[Via Wired]
Autonomous repair robots launched into space
Few things set our geek pulses a-purrin' like DARPA sponsored projects, robots, and outer space. So combining the three into last night's launch of the Orbital Express had us hopping and clapping like little girls in pink party dresses. Built for DARPA, the pair of satellites were launched to demonstrate the feasibility of autonomously servicing satellites in space. Yeah, autonomous as in no human interaction, unless there's a problem with the sensors, passive detection systems, and computer software requiring mission control to intervene. Both the robotic-arm equipped ASTRO servicing satellite and smaller NextSat target will be orbiting our blue planet for the next three months testing autonomous rendezvous, refueling, and component replacement. A successful mission would pave the way for a fleet of both commercial and military vehicles for use in repairing or providing an orbital boost to general-use spacecraft while allowing recon satellites to maintain position longer. We're pretty sure that last bit has some generals jumping and clapping as well. Read -- Satellite launch Read -- Orbital Express
Navy seeks to develop (another) incapacitating stun weapon
A "non-destructive" weapon that incapacitates the enemy by beaming radio frequency energy is currently being developed by the Navy and systems engineering developer Invocon. The technology is called Electromagnetic Personnel Interdiction Control, or EPIC (too good), and it basically throws a wrench into a human's normal process of hearing and equilibrium, leaving them in a dizzy state of helplessness. Pretty epic, right? Results have been clinically proven to cause complete disorientation and confusion, with a side of extreme motion sickness. The Navy hopes for the weapon to effectively penetrate walls without causing any permanent damage, which would make for an invaluable tool in warfare for reducing casualties on both sides. In essence, if this weapon ever comes to fruition, we'd be trading blood for vomit -- not too shabby, but all we want know is how many non-lethal ray-guns is the US Military going to need before it's good and happy? [Via Wired]
Camera kit smartens up Claymore land mine
Like most underground anti-personnel mines, above-ground Claymore land mines (notorious for having "front toward enemy" spelled out on their housings), are considered "dumb," since they're incapable of distinguishing innocent bystanders from the enemy. Claymore Camera Kits add the brains that Claymores have been missing since their introduction over 50 years ago, transforming the weapon from tragically stupid to useful and intelligent (or at least as useful and intelligent as something that's designed to kill and maim can be). The compact camera unit is mounted atop the mine, enabling command-detonation upon proper identification of the target. A motion-detecting sensor can be added to ensure that no one sneaks past the mine and there's even an option to record video feedback with GPS positioning. The infrared camera has outputs from 380 to 600 TV lines and connects to standard Giraffe tactical ruggedized display units with cable reels ranging from 50 to 200 meters in length -- not exactly new technology, but at least you can see who you're blowing up.
Pentagon plans ultrasonic curtain to muffle loud tanks
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]
Solid state laser sustains 67-kilowatts, approaching battlefield status
We know what you're thinking: when you've got eight-Megajoule railguns, aircraft-mounted tactical lasers, and xenon-based paralysis inducers, what good is a feeble solid state laser blaster? Presumably hoping to see a Star Wars-esque warzone in the not too distant future, a team of researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have crafted a Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) that can sustain 67-kilowatts of average power in testing, besting their previous record of just 45-kilowatts. Chemically powered lasers, on the other hand, have been able to achieve megawatts of power for some time now, but the solid state variety is much less burdensome and could be used on the battlefield without a constant source of chemical fuel flanking the soldier's belt. The SSHCL is said to generate a "pulsed beam which fires 200 times a second at a wavelength of one micron," and the "magic 100-kilowatt mark" that would enable it to become a satisfactory weapon could purportedly be reached within the year. While we're down with giving our troops crates of real-world rayguns to beam down the baddies, we've got a sneaking suspicion that someone's going to put an eye out while oohing and aahing at the light show these things emit. [Via Slashdot]
US Army to arm UAVs with xenon-based paralysis inducer
While places like Australia and Raleigh might be flooding certain areas (or in the Aussie's case, the whole continent) with more energy-efficient light, the US Army is looking to counteract those uber-green intentions by busting out a 7.5-million candlepower strobe floodlight system to be used as a "non-lethal crowd-control device." The government has awards Pennsylvania-based Peak Systems a contract to fabricate a modified Maxa Beam searchlight that will be xenon-based, sport strobing capabilities, and will act as an "immobilization system /deterrent device" on large crowds. Furthermore, this behemoth of a flashlight will be flanking an unmanned aerial system, presumably to cruise over a rioting crowd (or platoon of foes) and theoretically flash bomb them until they suffer from "short-term paralysis." While the idea sounds like a logical way to slow down millions of oncoming soldiers whilst at war, what happens with those baddies come over the hill rocking welding masks or ultra-tinted Thump shades? [Via Wired]
Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security
Although it's not exactly shocking to hear of yet another homeland security application that seems to border on Big Brother, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship could keep an elevated eye on 600 miles of US countryside at any given time, and if all goes as planned, we'll have 11 of these things floating over our everyday activities by the end of the decade. The HAA prototype is a ginormous airship that measures 17-times larger than the Goodyear rendition we're all used to seeing above sporting events, and is designed to hover 12 miles above the earth in order to keep tabs on what's happening below. The airship is slated to be solar-powered and should stay in a geocentric orbit for "up to a year," and if equipped with high-resolution cameras, a single one could cover everything "between Toledo, Ohio and New York City." While Lockheed Martin is thrilled with the $40 million project they've been awarded, it's certainly understandable to get a little worried about how these blimps will actually be used, but a company spokesperson suggested then an entire fleet could actually be used for "border surveillance" -- and hey, we need a little help down there anyway, right?[Via Fark]
Navy develops 8-Megajoule railgun, Nukem bows down
The mere mention of the word brings back visions of the original first-person-shooters to grace our now-antiquated machines, and now the US Navy is getting real personal with a realized version of the pixelated railgun we all love and adore. Presumably ripped straight from the (admittedly lacking) storyline of Quake, an 8-Megajoule railgun has been officially created, fired, and deemed worthy of flanking our naval ships, which should strike fear in the hearts of anyone wishing us harm. The gun was showcased this week at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren, Virginia, and utilizes massive quantities of electricity rather than gunpowder to propel "nonexplosive projectiles at incredible speeds." The weapon is powerful enough to equal the damage inflicted by a Tomahawk cruise missile, and the device's project director compared the impact to hitting a solid object "going 380 miles-per-hour in a Ford Taurus." Moreover, the railgun touts a 200 to 250 nautical-mile range, compared to the 15 nautical-mile range that current five-inch guns sport now. Interestingly, the weapon should "only" cost around $1,000 per shot once loaded onboard, which is chump change compared to the cool million that vanishes each time a cruise missile is deployed, and if everything goes as planned, we'll be seeing a 32-Megajoule prototype in June, with a 64-Megajoule rendition adorning our ships by 2020.[Via Slashdot]
Taser International unveils Taser C2 Personal Protector
While we've yet to hear of any mishaps or hijinks, the folks at Taser International are apparently braving the crowds at CES to show off their latest bit of non-lethal weaponry, the Taser C2 Personal Protector. Available in your choice of black, silver, blue, or pink, the C2 has a range of up to 15 feet for long-range attacks and can also be used as a contact stun device if you fail to get the jump on your attacker. Those looking to trick out their Taser beyond the basics can also opt for a model with an integrated laser sight, although many of the other options available on higher-end Tasers, like the Taser Cam interface, have been eliminated from the C2 to keep costs down, with the base model starting at just $299. According to Taser, you should be able to get your hands on one sometime this April, though you'll have to wait 'till you complete a background check before they'll give you the code to activate it. [Thanks, Richard D]
DARPA proposes "one-shot" sniping system
DARPA, which you may know from the Urban Challenge, has thrown its research proposing muscle behind a program with the "aim" of making sniper's jobs easier. Ya see, one of the problems with flinging a hunk of lead over a mile into the distance is that external influences (like cross-winds) mean that a shot aimed and fired directly at a target will most likely go astray. Snipers are trained to compensate for these external influences by using math to calculate the perfect angle required to hit their target, be it a snipe bird, or an annoying robot. DARPA's aim with the new RFP is to solve this problem by creating a system that finds the "perfect angle" by digitally measuring all the required atmospheric information: an aimbot for real life, if you will. DARPA outlines the two existing solutions to the problem -- Laser Doppler Velocimeters and Coherent Doppler Lidar -- and instantly writes them off as inadequate "for this application", so if you're thinking of taking DARPA up on this challenge you should probably look into alternate sensor technologies. As the proposal is simply a suggestion that someone else should sort out the problem, there's no specific time frame as to when we could be seeing a sniper scope that tells snipers where to aim. Fortunately, someone's already created a computer system that tells soldiers what to aim at. [Via Gizmag]
Gauss' GP-219 electromagnetic pistol fires steel projectiles silently
Sure, mechanical sentries and AirSoft turrets are novel, but there's nothing like whipping out an electromagnetic pistol to show folks you mean business. The Gauss GP-219 looks like it came straight from level 5 of Duke Nukem 3D, and rocks a PIC microcontroller, dual coils with "precision pulsing" to fire steel projectiles, twin infrared sensors to assist in positioning, and even a laser sight to keep your enemies pegged. Powered by an NiCd battery pack, this bad boy also features a bar display to track "capacitor bank charge progress," battery and fault LED indicators, and is "completely silent" when fired. The wildest part about this science-fiction dream come true is how effective it actually is, so be sure to click on for a few more pictures, and hit the read links for all the nitty gritty and even a few live action videos. Read - Gauss Pistol GP-219 Read - Pistol whipping in action, Nukem-style
DARPA's zombie-shark trainer looking at non-military applications
Earlier this year we brought you news of an exciting DARPA-funded project whose goal was to take your common, household shark and turn it into a remote-controllable spy capable of gathering critical military intelligence such as the location of enemy mines and submarines. And sure enough, Boston University's Jelle Atema and his team learned how to crudely guide these kings of the sea using either electrical stimulation to mimic their natural neural processes or -- our favorite -- little gadgets attached to their noses that release delicious-smelling squid juice on cue. While Professor Atema was able to make a good deal of headway in his research, biologists still have a long way to go before they fully understand how sharks use odor stimuli to navigate, and DARPA funding ran out before any more progress could be made at BU: the zombie-shark project recently got sucked into the black hole that is classified military research. Despite the lack of support from Uncle Sam, however, Atema is eager to raise fresh funding in order to leverage his achievements into useful civilian applications; remote-control sharks could potentially be used to track fish populations, changes in ocean temperature, or chemical spills. But consider yourself warned: once we're able to lead these creatures around by the nose, so to speak, it's only a matter of time before some mad scientists (read: DARPA) equip them with bionic limbs, turning them into deadly, mythical land sharks; i.e. next time someone rings your doorbell and you hear a little voice whisper "candygram" from the other side, you'd better call animal control and then run like hell to grab that harpoon you keep in the attic. For more details about this project (but unfortunately, no mention of that land shark aspect we fabricated), check out the mini-documentary at the Read link... [Via Defense Tech]
