DARPA

DARPA has selected Raytheon BBN to lead a team to develop an augmented reality device that can act as a virtual assistant for combat medics, guiding them through 50 different medical procedures using artificial intelligence.

DARPA, the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Lockheed Martin, and Aerojet Rocketdyne have successfully conducted a second test flight of a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) hypersonic missile, over an undisclosed location.

DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program has taken another step forward, with a US Army UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter taking to the air over Fort Campbell, Kentucky on February 5 for a 30-minute autonomous flight with no one aboard.

DARPA has announced a new initiative called the Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) program, which will look to develop a practical, super-accurate optical atomic clock robust and small enough to fit in a military aircraft, warship, or field vehicle.

DARPA has awarded Phase 2 contracts in its Manta Ray program, which aims to build a series of underwater drones capable of taking on long-range, long-endurance, autonomous ocean missions without any human support for charging, maintenance or logistics.

Although drones certainly can replace crewed aircraft, DARPA's Gremlins program instead aims to equip military planes with drones that can be deployed and then retrieved for reuse. Now, for the first time ever, one of the drones has been recovered in mid-air.

A few years ago we first heard about DARPA's Subterranean Challenge, a competition in which teams were using robots to explore underground environments. A consortium known as Team CERBERUS has recently been awarded the US$2 million top prize.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman successfully flew an air-breathing hypersonic missile. Part of a program for DARPA and the US Air Force, the HAWC prototype promises hypersonic missiles that can fly farther and at lower altitudes.

DARPA's new Fast Event-based Neuromorphic Camera and Electronics (FENCE) program will seek to make computer vision cameras more efficient by mimicking how the human brain processes information.

DARPA's Mobile Force Protection (MFP) program has developed a system designed to counter unauthorized drone intrusions over populated areas. The program sought a non-explosive approach and hit upon the idea of using drones that fire stringy streamers.

A new computer processor called Morpheus thwarts hackers by randomly changing its microarchitecture every few milliseconds. The puzzling processor has now aced major tests, repelling hundreds of professional hackers in a DARPA security challenge.

DARPA has awarded contracts to FLIR Systems, Leidos, and Charles River Analytics to develop new kit to protect soldiers and responders against chemical and biological (CB) threats using lighter, more comfortable and more versatile suits.