Topic: Military Research Groups

Dark-Sided DARPA Dangles $40k for Crowdsourced Balloon Hunt

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has long been shrouded in mists made of equal measures of awe, mystery, controversy, and spying. Now it's strolling out of those clouds, jauntily singing a 1980s pop ditty by Nena. 99 ...READ»

Upcoming S&T Event: Does DARPA Still Effectively Spur U.S. Technological Innovation?

There has been substantial debate recently whether DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - still effectively spurs U.S. technological innovation. On Tuesday, September 14, The Information Technology and Innovation ...READ»

Is DARPA Working on a Handheld Nuclear Fusion Device?

The Pentagon's DARPA arm is known for its attempts to reduce devices to microchip size. Projects have included multi-purpose sensors, cryogenic coolers, video cameras, and apparently, "Chip-Scale High Energy Atomic ...READ»

Undercover Bedbugs?

The latest in soldiery: a menagerie of robo-animals.READ»

The Caterpillar Self-Driving Dump Truck

A Robotic Behemoth for Mining.READ»

Vision Quest: Contests Throughout History

1567 Prize for: Developing a method of finding longitude at sea Offered by: Spain's King Philip II Amount: 6,000 gold ducats, plus an annual pension of 2,000ducats for life Winner: Marine chronometer, by James Harrison, in ...READ»

• The Power of the Prize

No Assembly Required

It seems scientists are harnessing the sum total of human knowledge and technology to… assemble Ikea furniture. An article about artificial intelligence in the New York Times today discusses ways in which cutting edge technology ...READ»

Gentlerobots, Start Your Engines!

Didn't get your fill of obscure sports with chessboxing, roshambo, and competitive eating? Then how about Driverless Motorsports, which, like the DARPA Grand Challenge and the Ansari X Prize, seeks to inspire innovation through ...READ»

The Maine Attraction

How do you know the difference between Pop!Tech and Amateur Night at the Apollo? At the Apollo, when a hot band comes on stage, members of the audience stand up and dance in the aisles. At Pop!Tech, when a hot band comes on stage, ...READ»

Fuel for Thought

His $10 million X Prize proved that money can drive big ideas. Now he's looking for more of them.READ»

New Autonomous Audi Can Get Reckless Driving Tickets Without You

With geo-aware brains and no driver, this modified Audi TT-S experimental vehicle is built to drift around corners and then regain control of itself. It could be the forerunner of future handling systems that could allow drivers to ...READ»

The Robopocalypse Cometh: IBM's Cyberbrain Smart as a Cat, Getting Smarter

If the Matrix or I, Robot's view of artificial intelligence sent chilly shivers down your spine, then prepare for frostbite: IBM's artificial brain is now as smart as a cat--just a stop or two down the line from human powers. ...READ»

Can't Touch This

Working all but alone from his hardware-strewn office, Jeff Han is about to change the face of computing. Not even the big boys are likely to catch him. READ»