PolygamousRanchKid tips a story about research into futuristic military technology currently being funded by DARPA. The Disc-Rotor Compound Helicopter ‘is propelled by rotor blades that extend from a central disc, letting it take off and land like a helicopter. But those blades can also retract into the disc, minimizing drag and letting the Disc-Rotor fly like a plane, powered by engines beneath each wing.’ The Vulture program aims to keep a plane in the sky for five years or more, and ‘LANdroids’ are pocket-sized robots which soldiers can scatter around urban areas to seed a communications network. FastRunner is a ‘two-legged robot that can cover a moderately rough terrain as fast as the best human sprinters.’ The article mentions the flying humvees we’ve discussed in the past, as well as projects for ‘smart’ binoculars and a method for recycling space junk.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
