Robotics Blog » DARPA

Programmable Matter Could Create Shape Shifting Robots

Dan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:16:46 +0000

Programmable matter could be used to create shape-shifting robots capable of changing their shape and adapting to their environment.

DARPA’s programmable matter research could potentially open the doors to a new kind of robotics. Shape-shifters could change their form to fit into tight openings, or work together to create stable structures in a swarm-type mode.

Programmable matter can change shapes on the fly.

Currently, programmable matter is in its infancy. Some programmable matter consists of actuators that allow for almost any shape to be made. Success has even been found using synthetic biology and engineered cells capable of changing their color and shape.

According to DARPA,

The goal of Programmable Matter Program is to demonstrate a new functional form of matter, based on mesoscale particles, which can reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command. These 3D objects will exhibit all the functionality of their conventional counterparts.

-DARPA
[signal]

Ember Military ‘LANdroid’ Robot Video Update

Dan — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:14:26 +0000

'Ember', is their book-sized autonomous robot made for the LANdroid program.Ember's ad-hoc network maintains communication between soldiers on the battlefield. Related posts:

iRobot’s Tiny ‘Ember’ Bot Creates an Ad-Hoc Network for Soldiers.

Dan — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:02:37 +0000

One of Ember's duties is to keep soldiers in communication. In urban environments, buildings and angle of incidents between wireless devices can greatly affect signal propegation. LANdroids are tasked with autonomously seeking a position that keeps the network alive, while still maintaining other missions objectives Related posts:

Satellite Collision a US Military Test? Says Who!

Dan — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:21:55 +0000

Orbital Express Satellite

A retired Russian General has claimed the ‘accidental crash’ between a Russian and US Iridium communications satellite was no accident. According to Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Leonid Shershnev, former head of Russian military space intelligence, the crash may really be a conspiracy – a US ploy to test the feasibility of controlling or disabling hostile satellites.Â Source: Official Russian State-ownedÂ NewsÂ and Information Agency – RIAN

You may have heard about this supposed “test” already (Above at RIAN, HERE on robots.net, and many other places on the ‘net I’m too lazy to link to). If not, you’ve probably at least heard that two satellites collided, leaving a ton of dangerous debris.

Does anyone else question the credibility of a Russian General (ret.) talking about a US conspiracy to take out foreign satellites in the State-owned Russian news agency? If you don’t, you probably should. This sounds like nothing but Russian propaganda, to me. For the hearing impared, it smells and looks like it, too.

Sure, a loosely related DARPA program may have existed, but let’s not take their state-owned word for it when they say the program’s purpose was to go out and destroy other satellites.

We’d probably never know for sure if it really was a secret US Military test. Remember,Â just because the odds were long doesn’t make it impossible. It makes it unlikely. Sometimes unlikely things happen.

You may also like reading about: Kessler Syndrome