Demonstrated in the video below – albeit on a very small fire – their system manages to snuff out a flame by destabilizing the fire by playing with electromagnetism and acoustics. While the DARPA program that drove the experiment aims to extinguish fires instantly, this technique does take a few seconds to kill these small methane flames.

It’s unclear exactly how it works, and there’s no evidence that they could scale it up to put out larger fires with the same technique. Still, it’s kind of magical how they just wave that little wand over the flames, and it puts them out for good.

[DARPA via Geekosystem]

The iOptik lenses work thanks to a set of special polarizing filters, which separate high intensity light from ambient light, and a secondary internal magnifying lens, which focuses the light into a single, narrow beam. The light rays are transferred independently to the retina, allowing users to focus on far away and close visuals, in full field of view. These contacts allow you to easily view images on a tiny close-up display (such as on a pair of sunglasses) while at the same time viewing your surroundings without any focus difficulties. The contacts do away with the need for the bulky optics usually found in today’s head-mounted displays, and when a compatible display is not present, the contacts would provide normal vision.

Innovega is working with DARPA to create prototypes of these types of lenses and beta test them for the military. A consumer model should also be available within the next couple of years, priced similarly to regular contact lenses.

While we’re still a long way off from displays built into contact lenses themselves, this is a major step forward in improving the usability of portable displays.

[via DVice]

It’s being developed by Dr. Russ Tedrake’s team at MIT alongside that of Dr. Jerry Pratt of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IMHC.) The team is working on a new robot that’s called FastRunner, and it looks like it should be pretty speedy. In fact, faster than any other robot that we know of. In their computer simulations, FastRunner can already hit 30 mph and they think that it can reach 50 mph without any problems. The main reason why it’s so fast is the spring-loaded articulated leg design, which only needs one motor to operate.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This means that FastRunner would be light and dexterous, allowing it to jump over obstacles, making it an all terrain robot. The project is part of a DARPA challenge to create a robot that can run more than 25 miles per hour.

[via Plasticpals]

Phoenix is intended to cruise around up in orbit, targeting satellites that have failed. The idea is that on most of the satellites that aren’t working, the issue may be with one small part leaving the main antenna dish, solar panels, and other large parts perfectly functional. The catch is that you can’t just shoot a repairman up into geosynchronous orbit to fix these satellites.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This is where Phoenix comes in. This sub-component of a satellite (or “satlet”) would find those up there that aren’t working, and link up next to the defunct satellite, detaching defective components, then attaching itself to the working parts to build new satellites in orbit. Phoenix would need to be able to cut through the metal outside of a satellite and reach the sensitive innards to take them apart. The actual disassembly would likely be done by a person on the ground using a telepresence system.

[via Dvice]

Watching the video is somewhat eerie, because you can see Boston Dymanics’ BigDog climbing a forested hill, all by itself. It can carry heavy loads and is powered by an engine that drives the hydraulic actuators needed for locomotion. BigDog is the size of a large dog or a small mule: 3 feet in length, 2.5 feet in height, and it weighs about 240lbs.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The onboard computer keeps everything balanced. It can run at 4mph, climb slopes up to 35 degrees, walk across rubble and climb muddy hiking trails. It will also walk in snow and water and can carry a 340lbs payload, which is pretty cool.

Check out more videos of BigDog in action over Boston Dynamics’ YouTube channel.

The project is the AeroVironment Nano Air Vehicle, and it looks like a hummingbird. The company says that the micro-aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but weighs less and is smaller than the largest hummingbird in nature. The remote controlled aerial vehicle has flapping wings that provide the ability to hover and fly in any direction the operator wants. Here’s a video showing the Nano hummingbird in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The tiny UAV measures 6.5-inchs wing tip to wing tip and has a total flying weight of 19 grams. That is very light considering the robot has all the hardware needed for flight, controls, a video camera, and the battery. The video that the flying machine shoots can be sent to a remote operator as well. According to AeroVironment, the hummingbird design could someday be used for providing undercover reconnaissance in urban environments.

Still, I am going to write about it because poo is funny and it gives me an excuse to break out a South Park reference. The story is that DARPA has put out a request for info on a reactor that could be powered by feces. This shitty generator would then be used to generate brown power for a several years off the grid.

I know a few parks with port-a-potties around my hometown that could corner the world market on electricity if this generator comes to pass. I can hear it now, “Oh crap sir, the power is out. Sergeant, have the cook break out the chili and prune juice right away.”

The quote continues: ‘The system might know the requirements for various tasks in its repertoire, and it may try to perform those tasks to verify functionality.”  So at the very least, these future robots could be thinking, sensing and moving about as they are being built, testing their parts. Which could include what, guns, missiles, lasers?

DARPA recently held a convention (pdf) of evil, traitorous mad scientists to help with SELF. Well I think that this is future future technology.  First of all you’d either need to have versatile parts or a factory with all the parts that robots need for it to be able to build itself based on its programmed tasks. And second, I’m scared. Dammit why can’t DARPA setup programs that make us feel better?

[via The Register via Crave]