Military Transformers: 20 Innovative Defense Technologies
May 15, 2012 11:00 AM Department of Defense technologies under development, from brainy microchips to battlefield transformer vehicles, promise to make the U.S. military more nimble. Here's a visual tour of 20 breakthrough ideas.
Brain Control
Some projects promise a better life for wounded soldiers. Last September, a mechanical arm was controlled by a volunteer with tetraplegia (characterized by loss of use of the limbs and torso) via his brain signals, a breakthrough in the control of a prosthetic arm. Development of the prosthetic limb was overseen by Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, with funding from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Next, UPMC and Caltech researchers will conduct trials aimed at achieving brain control of advanced mechanical limbs by volunteers with spinal cord injuries in DARPA's Revolutionizing Prosthetics program.
Credit: DARPA
RECOMMENDED READING:
Top 10 Open Government Websites
U.S. Military Robots Of The Future: Visual Tour
NASA's Next Mission: Deep Space
NASA's Blue Marble: 40 Years Of Earth Images
DOD Mobile App Eases Transition To Civilian Life
Army Aids Wounded Warriors With Mobile App
Army Eyes Monitoring Tools To Stop Wikileaks Repeat
10 Lessons From Leading Government CIOs









