The military is a major innovator when it comes to developing new technology.
Business Insider recently ran an intriguing feature story about the technology that the U.S. military is currently cooking up. Some of what they are working on might surprise you. In fact, the U.S. armed forces are creating some tech that just might change your life.
The laser gun
Science fiction fans have long wondered when we’d get those cool laser guns from Star Wars and Star Trek. Well, the military now has an operational laser gun, a device known as Excalibur.
As Business Insider writes, the Department of Defense has long worried about the damage that conventional weapons can create in urban warfare. That’s where laser guns come in. The Department of Defense’s DARPA unit is currently developing laser weapons that are 10 times lighter than existing combat lasers. The goal is to one day create 10-kilowatt devices that can be used in precision strikes against ground and air targets.
The doctor is in — your body
DARPA’s In Vivo Nanoplatforms program is developing nanoparticles that can sense and treat illness, disease, and infection all from inside the human body. Yes, that again sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but DARPA is actually moving along rather quickly on this project.
According to Business Insider, the nanoparticles sense specific molecules of biological interest. Researchers are currently working on a complete nanotech demonstration on a large animal, the website reported.
Thermal imaging on the cheap
The U.S. military has long relied on thermal imaging technology. But, as Business Insider points out, this technology is far from cheap. That’s why DARPA is now working on its Low Cost Thermal Imager manufacturing program.
This program, as its name suggests, is attempting to dramatically lower the cost of thermal imaging technology. DARPA would like to one day see thermal imaging machinery in cell phones, eyeglasses, drones, helmets, and rifle sights.
Read more at Business Insider: http://kbit.co/DARPA