Gizmodo
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robots
Pentagon's Robot Hummingbird Christened "Nano Air Vehicle"
The Pentagon's wacky sci-fi department DARPA has been working on robotic hummingbird-based drones to serve as miniature spies. They're not nearly as agile or adorable as real hummingbirds, but DARPA is well on their way to achieving that dream. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by Unknown2U: Simply amazing at what people can accomplish. Although I can see this being used as a big brother type of... 11 Responses | Other threads
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science
Obama Pledges 3%+ of GDP—as Much as Defense Spending—to Scientific Research
This morning, Obama made a huge pledge to focus more money on scientific research—more than the US spent during the space race. In fact, it's almost as much as we spend on defense. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by Justin Reich: What about people who are fans of new technologies developed in the United States, but don't want all the taxpayers... 35 Responses | Other threads
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oh, science
Scientists Demo Living, Remote-Control Flying Cyborg Beetles
Berkeley University scientists demoed a remote-control Rhinoceros beetle at a conference this week, repeatedly flying the cyborgian creature into observers' faces while screaming "WE ARE GODS! WE HUNGER FOR BLOOD SACRIFICE! More »
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By John HerrmanComment by Diplomate: I wonder if they can make it poop on command as well? THAT would make it into the ultimate... 10 Responses | Other threads
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satellites
Pentagon Mitex Satellites Are the First to Actively Spy... On Other Satellites!
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? If we're talking spy satellites, the answer this week became "U.S. satellites," two of which completed a first-of-its kind maneuver that had wide-ranging ramifications for all satellites currently in orbit. Update. More »
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By Jack LoftusComment by EqualOpportunityCrasher: Eh, screw China. They steal enough of America's IP as it is, so what's a few of their satellites... 6 Responses | Other threads
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bloody hell
Military Developing Blood Farming Machine, Zombie Apocalypse Coming Soon
This looks like the beginning of a George Romero's film, but it's real. It seems like one of the US Army's X-Files technologies is coming to us sooner than most skeptics expected: DARPA is developing now a portable blood farming system that could infinitely produce universal donor red cells from umbilical cord blood, right there in the battlefield. And yes, there's exactly where things go really wrong and soldiers are transformed into mad, blood-seeking, fresh-human-biting but really lovely zombies, ready to spread some kind of weird blood disease all over the world. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by Lupison: Like most things in our modern society, it's developed for the military or NASA first and then trickles down. As for... 12 Responses | Other threads
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bigdog
Darpa Wants Bigger, Smarter BigDog 'Bot To Help in Combat
Boston Dynamic's BigDog is already an impressive and freakishly animal-like beast, but Darpa it seems has bigger plans in mind and is asking for a smarter, bigger BigDog. The upgraded robot needs to carry 400 pounds of payload, run 20 miles on any terrain and survive un-refueled for a whole day to please Darpa's request. Plus it must be way quieter so it's more useful in real combat situations and have a smarter brain so it can steer itself autonomously as it trots after its soldier masters. More »
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By Kit EatonComment by LeadxSled: yeah, good luck getting those specifications met with that design. I happen to know an engineer that works at... 4 Responses | Other threads
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medical
DARPA's Acoustic Coagulation Cuff Stops Internal Bleeding with Sound Waves
Internal bleeding is bad, bad news, especially if you're on the battlefield and far away from a hospital. That's why the military is very interested in any technology that can help stop internal bleeding that can be applied by people other than doctors. And they may have come upon a pretty amazing solution: an ultrasound cuff that uses sound waves to stop internal bleeding. Amazing. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by nystreetfilms: The technology used here was developed at JIT (Julliard Institute of Technology) and basically, without getting too heady about it,... 3 Responses | Other threads
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spy cams
DARPA Documents Reveal Plans For Advanced Video Spying Tech
Real-time videos that detect the most minute movements in enemy battle areas and advanced analytical systems that will efficiently sift through them are all in the works, according to DARPA documents. A $6.7 million contract with software company Kitware revealed a DARPA project focused on rapidly indexing archived aerial surveillance. It also gave a taste of the technology our military already uses, and it sounds like something out of the Bourne Identity. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by Intersection: Nervous, why? I trust my government not to lie to me or illegally monitor my behavior. really I do. oh except... 1 Responses | Other threads
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darpa
DARPA's Secret 'Gandalf' Project Busts Terrorists With Their Own Portable Devices
The new 'Gandalf' project launched by DARPA is classified, so there isn't much in the way of details, but it seems that the goal is to use a special set of "handheld devices" to track targets of interest using "radio frequency geolocation." Spy planes and drones are already capable of similar functions, but this new portable system would allow undercover operatives to track targets on the ground without broadcasting their intentions to every terrorist within a hundred miles. I would have thought this sort of operation was going on already, but if we can bust bin Laden when he calls out for sex chats or listens to New Kids on a portable radio it is better late than never. [FBO via Danger Room] -
crazy ideas
DARPA Working on a Submersible Aircraft That Can Go From Air to Sea
DARPA is pumping money into developing a submersible aircraft: a vehicle that can fly in the air and dive straight into the water, becoming a submarine (kind of like this one). Badass! More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by GiltProto: Oooooooh, they had one of these on the old TV program Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea! 5 Responses | Other threads
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telepathy
Army Awards Contract for 'Thought Helmets' (Seriously, It's Tinfoil Hat Time, like, Now)
From the "how the hell did we miss this" department comes word that the U.S. military is hard at work creating "thought helmets" for its soldiers. If fully realized, this mind-interfacing piece of gear would allow for what plebeians would call magic, and Arthur C. Clark would call basic telepathy. The "good" news is the Army believes telepathic communication between soldiers in the field is entirely possible, some day. The bad news is that "some day" is decades away for this incredibly ambitious plan—this ain't no video game controller, folks. More »
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By Jack LoftusComment by popstand: Kind of sad that this technology is being developed in order to more effectively kill people. I wish the... 7 Responses | Other threads
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airplanes
US Military Wants Airplanes to Run On Coal
The US Defense Advanced Researh Projects Agency—aka DARPA aka The Guys Who Run Area 51 and Have a Pact with the Aliens to Abduct the Entire Human Race in 2012—has turned its eyes to coal for airplane fuel. There's only one problem: coal-to-liquid fuel technologies are too expensive and produce too much pollution. Until now. More » -
vehicles
DARPA Developing a Helicopter with a Spinning Disc Instead of Blades
DARPA is investing in developing a new kind of helicopter, one with what they're calling a Disc-Rotor. What makes a Disc-Rotor Helicopter different than a boring old helicopter? Well, when the blades start spinning fast, they're retracted into a disc. This disc continues to rotate, and it acts as a "rotating circular wing." The benefit of such a system would be to provide "mobility and responsiveness for troop and cargo insertion, satisfy an ongoing military interest for higher speed VTOL and hover capable vehicles, be survivable and bridge the gap in helicopter escort and insertion missions." Ho-Kay! I don't get it, but it sure will be neat looking, so I guess I'm on board. [The Register]
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By Adam FrucciComment by WMyers: Except that a spinning disk doesn't generate lift...if it did your hard drives would be flying out of your case.... 5 Responses | Other threads
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darpa
DARPA Developing Scopes That Use Heat Haze to Achieve Super Resolution
Yes, DARPA does have a reputation for coming up with some seriously far-fetched gadgets, but their Super-Resolution Vision System (SRVS) is not one of them. This project challenges designers to come up with an optics system that utilizes heat haze to see further and clearer than ever before. Basically, it takes advantage of an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs whereby images can be magnified for fleeting moments behind the haze. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by kirby822: @Kaveh: From the page you linked. "As adverbs they continue to be used interchangeably whenever spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance... 1 Responses | Other threads
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aviation
DARPA Unveils Details About the Mach 6 Vulcan Engine
How does one design a propulsion system that combines a full-scale turbine engine and a Constant Volume Combustion (CVC) engine that is capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload up to 9,000 nautical miles from the continental United States in less than two hours? DARPA has released new details on how they plan on tackling this issue with their Vulcan engine—a ramjet / scramjet hybrid that will take an aircraft like the Falcon HTV-3X from 0 to Mach 4 with a traditional turbine engine, then kick in the CVC to push it to Mach 6 and beyond. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by Fierock: @ripfire: I think this is a diversion to throw us off the path of Aurora. The feds are like:... more » | Other threads
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binoculars
Brainwave Binoculars Will Pick Out The Things You Looked At, But Didn't See
Pentagon gadget lab DARPA has just earmarked $6.7 million to develop "brain-wave binoculars." Electrodes placed on the user's scalp record electrical brain activity in an attempt to use the cranium's unrivaled ability to spot patterns. With time, the binoculars can learn to identify objects that would normally pique the user's interest and direct them towards it. The binoculars are supposed to help soldiers out in the field by pointing out tanks or enemy combatants that they may have seen, but not noticed. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by ANoel: "can learn to identify objects that would normally pique the user's interest and direct them towards it."I used to have... more » | Other threads
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robots
Roomba Maker to Develop DARPA's ChemBot Morphing Robots
Last year DARPA began the search for a company that could develop robots capable of squeezing through small openings and returning to their original size, shape, and functionality on the other side. Like most of DARPA's projects, the idea was way-out there. However, it appears that iRobot (the guys behind practical home robots like the Roomba vacuum and the Looj Gutter cleaner) have answered the call. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by VideoVampire: holy crap is it gonna say "have you seen this boy?" and brawl with Ahhnold? more » | Other threads
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gadgets
DARPA Technology Autonomously Lands Severely Damaged Aircraft
DARPA, the Pentagon's source for R&D (and lovers of acronyms big and small) have released a video illustrating the Damage Tolerance and Autonomous Landing Solution they developed alongside Athena Technologies. Basically, DTALS is designed to take over for a pilot in the event that the aircraft sustains heavy damage. The system automatically detects the damage and adjusts the flight control system to land the aircraft safely. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by ぶっちぎり IN THE FACE!: I notice that everyone seems pretty con to this idea, which is funny because this is clearly a very early... more » | Other threads
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smart cars
Ford's Self-Driving Hybrid DARPA Car Now Available for $89,000
If you are looking for a self-driving car, now you can buy the ByWire XGV, the modified Ford Escape that got third place at the DARPA Urban Challenge. Torc Technologies—who collaborated with Virginia Tech to develop this smartypants SUV hybrid—is going to sell the car for just $89,000 as a "research platform," so other researchers can tune and add new contraptions to make it work better and look even more menacing than the current version. The specs are loaded with ports, sensors, and even optional accessories, like vibration isolators. Whatever that is, we want it. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by Bearded Rapper: Damn it, I shouldn't have bought the eight tons of porno. more » | Other threads
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military tech
World's Smallest UAV Weighs 10 Grams, Flaps Like a Bird
AreoVironment is building the world's smallest UAV, called the Nano Air Vehicle, that has moving wings instead of a propeller or engine. DARPA has given the company $636,000 and six months to demonstrate an ultra-small UAV that will be under three inches long and under 10 grams. More »
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Comment by Thunderdome: There was an article in my FlyRC mag a month or two ago about a guy that's made not one,... more » | Other threads
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not so silly putty
DARPA Developing "Fracture Putty" to Heal and Support Shattered Bones
DARPA, the military's premier R&D team has been given the task of producing "a dynamic putty-like material" that can be packed in around shattered bone to help support a patient's body during the healing process. It would also be designed to bio-degrade when all is said and done. If DARPA is successful in developing this material, it would allow for increased mobility and a quicker recovery for patients suffering from major fractures. More » -
darpa
50 Years of DARPA: 5 Good Inventions, 5 Lousy Ones
To commemorate the golden jubilee of America's Defense Advance Research Projects Agency—formed these 50 years ago in response to a little traveler called Sputnik—New Scientist has come up with a short list of 10 DARPA inventions: five that changed the world, and five that fell flat: More » -
military
DARPA Developing Weapon Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke Idea From 1955
Those of you who are familiar with Arthur C. Clarke's 1955 novel Earthlight may recognize a new weapon from DARPA dubbed the Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition (MAHEM). In the novel, a commander unleashes "The Stiletto"—a weapon consisting of a jet of molten metal hurled through space by an electro-magnet. The MAHEM concept works in much the same way, using a magnetic field to propel a chunk of molten metal that will morph into an aerodynamic slug in flight. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by qbrad: @vision646: There are other answers to keep overpopulation in check - ie, stop with the Fu@king in vitro!! Stop... more » | Other threads
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military
DARPA Wants Contact Lenses to Turn Real-Life Combat Into Call of Duty 4
The problem with cool strap-on heads-up displays a few lucky soldiers get to use on the battlefield today is that they're bulky affairs that make them look like half-assed cyborgs. Plus, the interface is limited. The Pentagon wants to develop contact lenses that'll put "first-person-shooter-type video game" graphics on top the soldiers' vision. Yes, they want to make real-life combat the realest Halo match ever. More » -
airplanes
DARPA Close To Awarding Contract For Spy Plane That Stays Aloft For 5 Years
According to Flight Global, DARPA is close to awarding a contract to build an unmanned aircraft that can stay in the air for up to 5 years at a time. DARPA describes the "Vulture" project as a "persistent pseudo-satellite capability in an aircraft package." In other words, the aircraft can hover over a single area, narcing, communicating, or surveying for years at a time. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by jtowntex: This tech. has already been proven in such harsh conditions with standard aircraft materials like carbon fiber. Additionally, stonger/lighter fibers... more » | Other threads
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space
Boeing to Design New DARPA's Networked Swarm Spacecrafts
Start buying Cold War nuclear shelters and piling up the canned food, because Boeing Advanced Systems has started System F6, "DARPA's Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange space technology program." In other words: multiple, networked specialized spacecraft swarms that are intelligent enough to perform a single coordinated task together, like analyzing the crops or deciding to destroy humanity, Skynet-style. Actually, it could completely change satellites for the better, according to some experts: More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by ntrgc89: LOVED the picture, absolutely hilarious more » | Other threads
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crusher
DARPA Robot Crusher Truck Earns Its Name
There isn't anyone inside this six-and-half-ton beast, getting off on smashing through crappy 80s cars. No, the Army's latest baby, built by Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Engineering Center, is a robot. The Crusher navigates (and destroys) autonomously and will climb four-foot "steps" as easy as it tears up a hill. Apparently other vehicles in their Future Combat System family will take after this big bad monster truck, officially bringing the Army into the business of wrecking ass. With robots. [Danger Room, Vid via IEEE]
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Comment by SomeoneUKno: I, for one, welcome our car-wrecking robot overlords. more » | Other threads
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uavs
Plasma Thruster Powered, Cigarette Sized, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Take to the Skies
Cigarette-sized unmanned aircraft, utilizing plasma thrusters for power, may sound like something out of the pits of science fiction's B-rate movie bin to us, but we aren't DARPA. That's right the guys at DARPA are actually working with boffins at Oklahoma State University to make the vision a reality. More »
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By Haroon MalikComment by jtowntex: The final post actually brought some facts to the table. To put a finer point on it the "Red October"... more » | Other threads
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drugs
DARPA Developing Sleep-Replacing Nasal Spray, Opens the Door to 20-Hour Workdays
Those geniuses at DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm, are hard at work on a new nasal spray that could make sleep obsolete. It's called Orexin A, and just a couple snorts of it could allow you to be awake and alert for tens and tens of hours straight with no negative side effects. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by TildaEquiesterer: While I am sure that the development of orexin or orexin like medication to keep people awake in the absence... more » | Other threads
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total destruction
Rip Saw UGV Tank Fast as a Motorcycle, Yours For Only $200,000
First introduced in 2005, the Rip Saw is about to hit the market with a $200,000 price tag. The custom-built UGV can hit 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, go 80 mph, and can maneuver over any surface or terrain a tank can. And the video is pretty good; watch as it drives through a barn as if it were the cardboard box your handset came in. More »
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Comment by peckerhead: This is what CHUCK NORRIS uses to get his news paper every day more » | Other threads
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robots
Carnegie-Mellon Wins $2 Million Robot Car Urban Challenge
Carnegie Mellon University's Tartan Racing Team showed us who's boss on Saturday with a winning truck named Boss. The Chevy Tahoe robot SUV was bristling with PCs and sensors that steered it safely through a complicated city street course, winning the $2 million Urban Challenge prize from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). More »
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Comment by mspaeth: Good thing the judges didn't see the tiny buggy driver stuffed into the bumper :) more » | Other threads
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darpa
Watch the DARPA Urban Challenge Final Live, Don't Forget About Us
If you are planning on showing Gizmodo no love this morning, we shall excuse you if you ditch us for the awesome DARPA Urban Challenge. The DARPA Urban Challenge hopes to pursue technologies that may replace humans on the battlefield. Teams enter an unmanned, robotic and autonomous vehicle, which is released in a mock city environment and must complete certain tasks to succeed. The main objective is for the robotic vehicle to carry out simulated military supply missions, whilst simultaneously negotiating their way through traffic and past obstacles. More »
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By Haroon MalikComment by slickfast: what are you an idiot? he said himself that it was NCSU's car. Congratulations to all the teams, it was amazing... more » | Other threads
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military
DARPA's PowerSwim Brings Out the Aquaman in You
This crazy fin thing was developed by DARPA for scuba divers to swim 150% faster and with less effort than regular fins, helping to get places quicker and preserve oxygen along the way. Modeled after observing swimming habits of penguins and dolphins, it takes the strain away from smaller leg muscles, instead working the glutes and quads. It was intended for Navy SEALs (duh), but maybe one day we'll all get a crack at it. The shot above is newly released on CNet. After the jump is a schematic rendering from the original Popular Mechanics story. More »
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Comment by sarc88: You can see the original invention in video on Youtube. Do a search on Aqueon - that's the original name.... more » | Other threads
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weapons
Next Generation of Spy Cameras Could be Launched from Shotguns
Super-expensive surveillance cams in danger spots could soon be a thing of the past. Researchers at DARPA have been experimenting with cheapo-cheapo cameras that are tough enough either to be shot into position or dropped from a high-altitude aircraft. And when you think about today's ever-shrinking technology, how difficult would it be to design a bullet-sized camera? More »
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By AddyDugdaleComment by x23: It Is The Future. He fought the horror of robots programmed to kill. [imdb.com] more » | Other threads
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robotic legs
MIT's Exoskeleton is not Just for Lazy Buggers
Although exoskeletons are nothing new &mdash remember the Bleex? &mdash the Biomechatronics Group from MIT's Media Lab has come up with a smaller, more discrete number. Although it can only carry 80 pounds (compared to the Bleex's upper limit of 220 pounds), associate professor Hugh Herr hopes that in the future, exoskeletons will be another way of getting around. "Our dream is that 20 years from now, people won't go to bike racks, they'll go to leg racks" he says. More »
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By AddyDugdaleComment by KiKadet: I know I'm posting this almost two months late, but this is just for whoever is aimlessly wandering the internet... more » | Other threads
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prosthetics
Rocket-Fuelled Bionic Arm not Just for Sportsmen
A team at Vanderbilt University has come up with a prototype of a prosthetic arm powered by a miniature rocket motor that is as close to a bionic arm as you are going to get. "Our design does not have superhuman strength or capability, but it is closer in terms of function and power to a human arm than any previous prosthetic device that is self-powered and weighs about the same as a natural arm," says Michael Goldfarb, the professor leading the research. You can see more from him in the video below. More »
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By AddyDugdaleComment by Boondocker: When 2009 rolls around, I wanna volunteer as a test patient!I need a right arm! more » | Other threads
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real-life jason bourne
DARPA Wants to Engineer "Kill Proof" Soldiers with Hardwired Animal Characteristics
The gang at DARPA — you know, the ones working on invisible, shoot-through, self-healing armor — want to create kill-proof soldiers that have characteristics of animals that can survive in extreme conditions. They're researching things like allowing soldiers to redirect oxygen demand throughout their bodies to allow them to stay underwater for hours. Dammit, DARPA, didn't you see the Bourne movies? This isn't going to end well for you. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by halloweenjack, King of the Wild Frontier: @Steel_Pelican: Yep, 2b. All they need to do is send some astroturfers into some of the PvP World of Warcraft... more » | Other threads
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darpa
Nothing to worry about. DARPA just planning SKYNET. [Danger Room]
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fish in a barrel
DARPA Unclassifies Plans for Laser-Guided Bullet
DARPA's Budget Item Justification Sheet contains goodies that seem right out of the pages of science fiction, like laser-guided bullets. The goal appears to be to "enable low-cost, high performance guided projectiles" that take advantage of "guidance and targeting systems." While the idea of a laser-guided bullet conjures images of soldiers marching across fields, spraying ammo that never misses, the report mentions that the technology is intended to be used by Special Forces and Army Sniper Teams. So, boiled down, we're talking a bullet that's going to be fired at long range by a sniper and be able to adjust its trajectory mid-flight, as to have a better chance of hitting the target. Sounds like the military just doesn't want to train their snipers. Laser-Guided Bullets: Pentagon Pursuit [WIRED]
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By kevinhall2Comment by sirspeedy: Argh. Wired and other magazines just don't get it. The document says "UNCLASSIFIED" which simply means that it... more » | Other threads
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future tech
DARPA Looking Into Invisible, Shoot-Through, Self-Healing Armor
DARPA, the crazy research arm of the Pentagon, is looking to make science fiction a reality. Their current goal? To create shoot-through, invisible, healable body armor. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by cac67: @ripfire4:"We're talking about challenges that deals with physics, chemistry, etc. I would compare this more to the atomic bomb." Bah, 1940's... more » | Other threads
darpa
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