On Monday, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) unveiled its ‘Improv’ program focused on increasing its security. DARPA is interested in people able to create innovative weaponry from any commercially, cheap or off-the-shelf product in order to determine if they pose a threat for its security systems.
The ability to understand what kind of improvised weapons and devices that could be used against military forces is a must to keep up with technological threats nowadays. Now, thanks to the DARPA’s Defense Science Office program, an alternative sort of improvised performance is in progress.
DARPA’s agenda welcomes all researchers, developers, inventors and even hardware-hacking enthusiasts to join their new ‘improv’ program. The improv program will encourage participants to reconfigure, reprogram, modify or combine commercially available technology.
As a result, participants of the DARPA’s program will use components, systems, and products that hold no military features, yet could pose an imminent threat to the security of the U.S. military. The goal is to discover any possible ways that common commercial technology could be harnessed or modified in order to damage military forces by its enemies.
Even though the United States military has already dealt with this kind of threat, the understanding of new ways technology can be used to harm or put national security in danger is crucial for the development of new security measures.
“The program will fund innovative research proposals for prototype products and systems that have the potential to threaten current military operations, equipment or personnel and are assemble primarily from commercially available technology,” said DARPA in its official announcement.
Registration and Eligibility
According to DARPA’s website, the Improv Proposers Day webcast will take place on Tuesday, March 29 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Wednesday, March 30 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Also, it is required for any participant to complete the advance registration in order to receive access to the webcast.
It’s worth mentioning that only confirmed registrants will be given access and will be able to see the webcast. Also, confirmed registrants will receive an email containing all the details regarding the webinar URL and instructions 24 hours before the according webinar session.
As posted in the DARPA’s website, viewing for the Improv Proposers Day webcast will be open to individuals who are U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and Foreign Nationals.
Source: Scientific American