DARPA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an arm of the US Defense Department with an annual research budget of $3 billion. It was charted 50 years ago, shortly after Sputnik, for the purpose of anticipating technological developments that might otherwise be surprises unveiled by enemies. It has since morphed into an advanced projects development agency for DOD. Earlier successes of DARPA include the computer mouse, the Internet, the Global Positioning System, and stealth aircraft.

Current projects look tame by comparison, at least the projects they will talk about. But we are assured that more life-changing inventions are under development. Some of the projects that they will talk about include:

Boomerang; a device designed to determine the origin of an incoming bullet or rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). It was developed in about two months in 2004 and deployed to Afghanistan. It doesn't wait for the sound to reach it; by that time, it would have been blown to pieces. It detects the shock wave that precedes the object. Shock waves travel faster than the objects which produce them.

Knowing that you are about to be destroyed in the next few milliseconds is not much consolation, so DARPA developed the "Iron Curtain," a somewhat bulky add-on to a Humvee that both detects and destroys incoming RPGs before that can strike the vehicle.

Iron Curtain and several of the other devices mentioned here were the subject of a National Geographic special titled "America's Secret Weapons Lab." It was broadcast today and will be rebroadcast 11 December.

DARPA is also developing a self-generating network for field communication and situational awareness. For example, three or more Humvees using Boomerang could precisely pinpoint the location of a sniper or grenade launcher and communicate that information to all vehicles and personnel in the area.

DARPA and Raytheon have developed a 200 pound aluminum exoskeleton which, when energised, not only holds up it's own weight, but gives the human wearer a ten-fold increase in arm and leg power. In the example given, supply personnel could lift and load 35-pound boxes of ammunition all day without tiring. But it requires a lot of power and is tethered to the source. It's not for portable use in the field.

The WASP is an electrically-driven remotely-controlled "model" airplane about 26" long capable of carrying daylight or infrared cameras for 45 minutes.

Powerswim is a device that lets swimmers travel 150% faster than using swim fins and with less effort because it uses more powerful muscles (quadricep and gluteal muscles.) It's shape is derived from observation of whales, dolphins, and seals as they swam.

But not every project is cheap. DARPA, working with the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works, is developing the Falcon HTV-3X scram jet, capable of travelling for hours at over 4,000 miles per hour.

The Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) can be carried aloft by unmanned helicopters and see through foliage to detect troops and vehicles not otherwise visible.

Perhaps their best-known project is the DARPA Grand Challenge, first issued in 2004 with a $1,000,000 grand prize for the first autonomous vehicle capable of negotiating a long obstacle course in a limited amount of time with no external control other than start and stop. Hundreds of teams have participated from high schools, universities, businesses and other organizations. The only requirement is that at least one member of the team be a US citizen. The prize was increased to $2,000,000 in 2005 and was finally claimed in 2007. The first, second and third places winners in the 2007 Urban Challenge received $2 million (CarnegieMellon, 4 hrs, 10 mins,) $1 million (Stanford), and $500,000 (Virginia Tech), respectively.

And there are hundreds of other projects that you can get an idea about by going to the DARPA web site list of on-going programs.