Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, abbreviated DARPA (darpa), or the Office of Advanced Research
Projects of the U.S. Department of Defense, was established in 1958, almost immediately after
the launch of the USSR Sputnik-1. The realization that the Soviets were about to launch not only
satellites but also missiles into space encouraged the United States government. The result was the
creation of a unique agency with a huge budget, which could be spent at its own discretion. Watch
a selection of the most unexpected, strange and advanced projects in the field of technology
and artificial intelligence DARPA in one video! DARPA mission is to create innovative defense
technologies. The agency's projects ranged from space-based missile shields to cyborg insects. At
the same time, the Internet, the first computer mouse, GPS, robot vacuum cleaner and, for
example, Siri were created. The uniqueness of DARPA is that by investing in the project, it
does not seek to take a share in the capital, but only stimulates the development of
technology and looks where it will lead. The first significant success of the agency was
ARPANET, which laid the foundation of the modern Internet. In 1969, with the help of this computer
network was transferred the first message between the computers of California and Stanford
University, although then only two of the five letters of the message managed to transfer. But on
January 1, 1983, the network became the first in the world to switch to data packet routing.
As a routed protocol was used developed by order of DARPA the IP protocol, which is still
basic for data transmission on the Internet. In 1964, Charles Rosen, Head of the Stanford
Research Institute's Artificial Intelligence Center, proposed the creation of an "Intelligent
Automatic Machine" for the Advanced Research Department. The grant was approved, and it was
assumed that the developed robot would be able to work as a scout or a patrol officer. This is how
the SHAKEY robot came into being. According to the description, it could perceive its environment,
derive implicit facts from explicit ones, create plans, recover from mistakes in plan execution
and understand orders written in plain English. The robot was equipped with video cameras,
collision sensors and a rangefinder; communication with the control
computer was carried out via radio. SHAKEY software architecture, computer vision
and navigation and planning techniques proved to be fundamental to robotics and web server
development, video game creation and Mars rovers. Autonomous robots, like self-driving vehicles,
were one of the first and main goals of DARPA. To stimulate their development, the agency
launched the Strategic Computing Initiative in the 1980s and allocated
a billion dollars to it. The goal was to develop artificial intelligence
technologies in various fields. Among the results there are first autonomous cars and the first
quadruple-legged walking robot Boston Dynamics. Modern unmanned vehicles date back to a series of
robot races, which DARPA sponsored in the 2000s to stimulate the development of technology.
And if in 2004, out of all applicants for the prize of a million dollars, only one managed
to pass a modest 12 km of the planned 240 km, but in 2005 the whole distance was covered by 5
cars at once. In 2007, DARPA held another race, now with a prize of $2 million. The
self-driving cars had to drive through the city, observing the rules and interacting
with each other at the intersections.
It was DARPA that sponsored the development of
the first four Boston Dynamics BigDog robots, presented in 2005. The robot,
measuring 91 by 76 cm and weighing 110 kg, was able to move at a speed
of six and a half kilometers per hour and carry a load of 150 kg even, as well as
climbing a mountain with a slope of 35 º. The project cost DARPA 42 million dollars, but was
closed because the robot was incredibly noisy.
Nevertheless, BigDog became the basis for the
creation of both the robot Spot and Atlas robot. By the way, the robot was not the last
development of Boston Dynamics for DARPA.
About all the robots of the company,
including those created for military purposes, we presented in the issue, the link
to which you see now in the hint.
Very unusual developments were and
are among the Agency's projects. For example, the Energy Autonomous Tactical
Robot program was aimed at creating robots that could feed on plants to independently
replenish energy right where they would work. Or the Engineering Living Materials program,
aimed at creating self-healing building materials. With the development of 3D printing of organs and
tissues, DARPA hopes to use similar technologies to create hybrid materials that can form and
support the growth of artificially created cells. Such materials will be able to be grown
locally using available resources.
The Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
spy beetle project in 2006 also looked crazy. In 2009, the engineers even presented a
prototype transmitter for cyborg insects. But judging by the fact that in 2018,
the agency announced the beginning of the development of miniature robots, to manage
insects in the right quantities did not work. The new program SHRIMP (SHort-Range
Independent Microrobotic Platforms) and the robots developed within it will relate
to the smallest type of such mechanisms, just the size of insects. The robots will be
fast and maneuverable enough to jump, fly, lift objects and perform terrain analysis.
And these will not be the only bio-inspired robots DARPA. Recently, the agency announced
that next year it will present a completely finished robot-worm, which will be able
to tunnel at a speed of 10 cm per second. For the Project Underminer project 2.5 million
dollars have already been allocated. The tunnels will be needed to quickly create tactical
paths when fighting in cities and megacities. One of the important projects of DARPA
was The Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies program, designed to
create "implantation, diagnostic and therapeutic closed cycle system for the treatment of
psychoneurological diseases. Essentially, the program wants to create a brain implant that
will help soldiers fight post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems. Interestingly,
when DARPA began working on neuro-interfaces, it said it would create a chip that would
allow the military to control combat robots and drones with the power of thought. One way or
another, the work on the brain chip continues.
Another key area of DARPA's projects
is the creation of robotic pilots and artificial intelligence capable of controlling
aircraft and helicopters, including combat ones. Thus, at the end of this year the final tests
of ALIAS technology on Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters (black hockey is read) are to be
held. The test program is remote and autonomous missions. ALIAS system consists of a robotic
pilot, voice interface and software. In order to install ALIAS on any Black Hawk from the U.S.
Army park, only LIDAR and cameras are needed.
The Artificial Intelligence training
system, which in the future will be able to take control of a combat aircraft
and conduct maneuverable close air combat, developed by DARPA, is called Air Combat
Evolution. It was for its development that the recent neural network algorithms were tested
with the virtual air combat AlphaDogfight Trials. Recall that in the course of these artificial
intelligence managed to defeat a professional pilot of the U.S. Air Force with a crushing score
of 5:0. The new neural network system will have to control the fighter and fight faster and more
efficiently than man. It will be tested on a real plane in 2024 - the preparation of the
fighter for this event has already begun.
AUtonomous vehicle technology is of
interest to DARPA not only in the air, but also on water. Just the other day the agency
announced that it was ready to conclude contracts for supply of long-range uncrewed ships with
three private companies within the framework of Sea Train program. The project envisages
deployment of a distributed fleet of unmanned tactical surface ships at long distances. The
goal is to overcome the range limit for sea drones by reducing wave resistance. DARPA sees
one solution to this problem in sea trains, which will be formed from ships directly at
sea. After overcoming the necessary distance, the drones will separate to perform their tasks,
and on the way back to form a train again.
Also at the expense of drones, the U.S. intends
to soon increase the number of its fleet to 355 ships. This was recently announced by U.S. Defense
Secretary Mark Esper, he also reported on the demonstration of a prototype underwater drone
Echo Voyager from Boeing and Sea Hunter surface vehicle, developed by DARPA. Apparently,
they will join the ranks of the Navy.
Another global goal of DARPA is the creation of
swarm intelligence, that is, the use of groups of robots to perform complex tasks. As part of
this project, researchers from Buffalo University recently received more than 300 thousand dollars
to study the brain impulses and eye movements of gamers. The goal is to improve the organization
and strategy of autonomous air and ground robots through a new training method. The robots will be
trained by an algorithm that should process the information collected by scientists and understand
how gamers operate in some unexpected situation, what they pay attention to, how they
operate and what these actions lead to.
The research of robots' robots' robots is
conducted by DARPA in two other directions. The first is the OFFSET project, the development
of software that will combine various ground robots and unmanned aircraft into one group.
The robots in the group must be able to solve one or more tasks together using one of
more than one hundred tactical options.
The second direction is Squad X project.
It involves the introduction of drones, robots and sensors on the battlefield to maximize
soldiers' awareness of the current situation and other tasks. DARPA has already tested the
program through a week-long exercise, during which U.S. Marines used drones and robots to coordinate
their movements and detect potential threats in the field. The information from the sensors was
processed by the Artificial Intelligence System and only then passed on to the military. This is
probably how battle scenarios of the future look. It is impossible not to mention that
thanks to DARPA the whole world was able to enjoy the spectacle of human-like
robots race at DARPA Robotics Challenge. Frames of epic robot fails of various
designs quickly became a hit on YouTube. And although it was really very funny, we
shouldn't forget that thanks to such events robotics are developing and today we
can look at such smart robots as Atlas! Subscribe to the channel, like the videos, share this video with friends
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