7 interesting projects DARPA

DARPA is the US Ministry of Defense agency. Established in 1958 and engaged in the development of technologies used in the armed forces. And the goal was – to show that the United States is a leader in the technological race. But the agency, in addition to the contribution to the defense of America, it is possible to influence the technology, promote the development of a huge number of innovations that changed the way of life of many people. Among these achievements – the development of GPS, ARPANET (the base for the Internet). US continues to invest in technology development.

DARPA: The space plane XS-1

Space industry has long dreamed of a shuttle that would be launched into space more than once. But these devices are applicable to only partially reusable.

Aviation company Northrop Grumman, Scaled Composites, Virgin Galactic and DARPA combined to such a mechanism yet to create.

Development must take off vertically, but to land the UAV can horizontally. The result has been created XS-1 – the space plane designed as a pilot project. Of the features of the machine: take off in terms of infrastructure and the lowest return to Earth after orbiting the Earth will be released payload. The desired acceleration mechanism – 10 strides.

DARPA aims to reduce the cost of flight to $ 5 million, despite the fact that now the price is 5 times more. UAV must demonstrate their repeated use 10 times to fly to orbit for 10 days.

Project X-37B, since the development of which has been more than 25 years, was transferred to DARPA 10 years ago and is partially intercepted by a few years after the US Air Force. However, to enter the orbit it is necessary to use a rocket Atlas V.

The initial idea XS-1 was to turn it into an improved missile system plan, based on which the orbit was deduced to another machine. XS-1 was to use supersonic motion.

All these developments give impetus to the development of mechanisms that make it easier to reach space. Now DARPA expect from new solutions and alternative approaches in technology, design, cost and performance. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate the opportunities and prospects in the field of civil, commercial and military sectors.

DARPA: Gremlins – drones mascots

DARPA plans to create drones that would be launched from the aircraft. Such devices are now so easy to use that the management of the land can easily handle the children, besides becoming more miniaturized. The new development is called “gremlins.” The name comes from the mascots of the pilots of the Second World War.

Gremlins – a low-cost intelligent design, their purpose – monitoring the situation and exploration.

Another application – removal purposes. The drone is able to mute a link or radar. Discouraged by the pilot becomes a target for missiles or other military weapons.

Development should be reusable and long-term function.

Dan Patten, head of the project, pointed out that the system will not work for decades, its mission is to ensure the work of the individual parts of the drone – the engine, payload, however, support the entire device is not entirely meaningless.

Drone is important to provide an artificial intelligence. Among his abilities promise to orientation in space, to fly the plane and go back, avoiding collisions. High-tech and maneuverable drones have every chance to enter in the public sphere.

Not only the air drones are in active use in the future. DARPA is developing a technology that will be used in the body of water as a robotic platform. Develop the ability to float, to produce missiles. Management is carried out remotely.

This method is a new opportunity for military operations in the environment of the ocean, which has not previously been actively concerned. However, such use of water space requires the introduction of new regulations. United in their speeches noted that the world’s conflicts occur at the junction of the coastal points, the disputed areas. Factors such as weather conditions, global warming, changing the number of points of access to the marine environment, opening up access to them. Development of robots in terms of fuzzy rules of warfare and conflict of interests of several states can have unfortunate consequences.

DARPA: Tactical Robot producing energy

Three years ago there was a lot of rumors about the creation of carnivorous robot. Over terrible development, according to the information that the US military worked. Energy Autonomous Tactical Robot, which was discussed, was quite harmless. It feeds on plant biomass, to save energy. In the food suitable twigs, grass, suitable as paper and wood chips. Having processed all this, the robot receives energy. More traditional resources, such as gasoline or diesel, coal and solar energy, and may well be used as a power source, but are not essential.

Development was created to maintain military groups in combat. The device is able to carry the equipment, combat material, weapons or victims.

The terrible news that the robot will absorb people greatly excited public. Harry Shoell, CEO of Cyclone Power Technologies, which is engaged in the creation of the robot is not just trying to appease all. He noted that the futuristic design is always a concern of people, but to work in such a project – not quite his mission. His robots will eat a strictly vegetarian diet.

In favor of the creation of carnivorous technology is impossible, says another factor: robots that feed on carrion, cannot appear on the battlefield. By law, the eating of the dead – the desecration of which is equal to a war crime.

The use of technology is also possible in another area: long ago planned to create a car with alternative power sources. It is possible to use food waste, if there is no money for gasoline.

DARPA: Memex

Memex – this network, which will allow for more in-depth search of the World Wide Web. Announced the system was at the beginning of 2015, although the process of its creation and the first attempts to apply in practice, begun earlier. DARPA suggests using Memex to search the “deep Web» – Deep Web. Modern search engines like Google or Bing, cannot get so deep. Deep Web or unavailable, or available only through encrypted networks Tor or 12P. A well-known search engines is technically not difficult to connect the Deep Web and offer it for use on a par with its other products, but it is not profitable for search engines in commercial terms.

And the agency has announced the promotion of search engine Memex. The initial idea of ​​the system is to actively contribute to law enforcement authorities. They tried to get the results of the narrow interests of the specification, which commercial search engines are unable to give. Among those requested – the slave trade, drug trafficking and human organs. Memex is designed primarily as a tool for government agencies, military and law enforcement sectors. But at the same time, it draws attention to the object of civil applications. Due to its unique capabilities, he could become a competitor to Google.

One of the participants of the project Memex sees the future that the system will allow the network to find just about any information in this work will be carried out automatically. All search operations will be carried out with the use of artificial intelligence using machine learning. Once in the system will be fully occupied by robots, interns, and while they will make all the hard work, nothing puts the user to engage in such a responsible thing as watching a video with seals.

DARPA: Reflection of the active memory

 

Episodic memories and skills can now be restored to the memory due to the RAM Replay. Researchers have set a task to develop mechanisms to strengthen the declarative memory, allowing to remember facts, events, experiences, and they are developing recovery mechanisms procedural memory, the use of unconscious information aimed at the use of skills.

Neural play able to play patterns or coding system memory. Scientists have conducted tests on animals have shown that all remember Information activated during sleep or when awake using neural playback. It is engaged in their learning and DARPA. They examine the frequency of activation, the gaps between them and other aspects. Developments show that the odors or stimulation of the head by means of electrical impulses able to influence the process of learning a particular skill. At a time when the playback mechanism becomes clear, the quality of skills and memorization will move to a new level.

Justin Sanchez, one of the researchers of the project, noted that the various non-traditional ways of working with the memory of man today are popular in a variety of fields. This technology is the mnemonic, and special programs for smartphones. However, most of these techniques affect only certain aspects of a memory, in general, there are many more.

RAM Replay – system, the main purpose of which – the strengthening of the basic mechanisms of memory. Improving the mechanism leads to the fact that memory is more reliable even with large amounts of information. This applies not only to the decision in the military sector and a combat situation, but also to the public in the fields of education, retraining and others.

DARPA: Scene Network

Stories, stories, narratives greatly change a person’s behavior and way of thinking. The Americans appeared interested to learn this line. Narrative Networks – a project that has been developed for this purpose. The program allows you to take the plot, analyze it and submit to a rigorous and transparent manner.

Earlier, data tracking conducted through the collection of information on social networks. But from the analysis of the plot in the networks of developers have moved to the analysis mikrofatsialnyh motions – hard to perceptible changes in the face and MRI scan. The goal – to establish how the narratives and ideas of human exposure.

Documentation DARPA says: any story – it means a strong influence on the thoughts, feelings and behavior. Speaking of potentially hazardous situations, conflicts, anti-terrorist scenarios, all matters relating to security, this research becomes extremely important. Any nervous reaction that occurs in response to the story that is relevant to the situation.

Developers conducted a series of tests. Students connected to the system and the MRI showed them the films of Hitchcock and “Aliens.” It was found that when approaching an emotional threat to information about the outside world, awareness of it, is significantly reduced.

The result of their work the researchers see the creation of such a device that would seamlessly determines the effect on the psyche of the narrative. DARPA’s interest in technology excites many anthropologists. This was expressed by Hugh Gastersona, noting that the Pentagon this subject too, “tasty” to pass. While most people are of the opinion that without the military neurology can sleep peacefully.

DARPA: Predatory bacteria and epidemic prediction

The DARPA decided to establish why the various harmful microorganisms work for us or against us. And all because of the growing number of bacteria, which cannot cope even with antibiotics. The threat of war in this situation see because of the increasing likelihood of resistant bacteria in terrorist acts.

Bacterial infections are a real treat predatory pathogens. These include Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus, they are able to hunt for hundreds of human pathogens and those that are resistant to the drug as well. The technique of using predatory microbes opens a potentially new way of treatment.

Before actively use this method in practice, it is necessary to find out a number of issues. The first thing to establish – would not it be dangerous to treat on the basis of predatory organisms to humans. The second aspect concerns the development of resistance against predatory viruses. And the third – to be effective in the fight against the target pathogens. After receiving the answers, scientists will be able to bring an effective method of combating bacteria.

Not only this study aims to combat bacteria. THoR – a program in which we study the nature of immunity, its tolerance of both humans and animals. Matthew Hepburn, a colonel involved in the program, said that the understanding of the nature and transmission routes of germs significantly reduce mortality from malicious, hard-to-treat bacteria.

DARPA is working with the program, whose purpose – to prevent the spread of epidemics. To do this, they try to predict the best evolution of pathogens and how they spread. A year ago in the United States examined the virus Chikungunya. A competition was held CHIKV, which scientists have obtained certain data sets about the virus. The best results showed the team from the University of Arizona. Mathematician lay down and assistant epidemiologist Heidi Braun successfully estimated the number of diseases, analyzed their peak and the duration from the time of the disease. The study was based on the basis of these diseases in the past year in the Caribbean. The essence of the program – in predicting epidemic to advance to be able to keep the virus and prevent it from evolving. Researchers aim to achieve these indicators to forecast was as easy as determining the weather.