DARPA leverages technology for homeland defense

Orlando, FL-The primary focus at this week's annual AeroSense meeting here is the ongoing War on Terrorism. Sponsored by the optical engineering society SPIE, the gathering brings together those involved in aerospace and defense sensors, simulation, and controls--with applications including robotics, and imaging and vision systems.

In a keynote speech titled "Development of sensors and C(3)I technologies for homeland defense and law enforcement: a DARPA perspective," Defense Advanced Research Project Agency Director Antony Tether highlighted developments the agency is looking to put on the table for various government organizations. (C(3)I refers to command, control, communications, and intelligence.) He particularly noted a list of what he sees as potential future breakthroughs. These seven are:

* Defeating terrorist networks
* Precisely detect, track, and destroy elusive targets
* Characterization of underground structures
* Assured use of space
* Cognitive computer systems
* Bio revolution
* Networked manned and unmanned attack operations

Cognitive computing will result in "computers that remember experiences," Tether noted. As for bio revolution, that involves allowing "you to be all you can be" via medical developments, he added--saying some of his developers report, "We can do things Olympic judges couldn't detect."

Specific programs include electronic tagging of drug shipments, triggered by airborne radar scanning. A counter-sniper system under development will potentially use lasers and infrared imaging to pinpoint within a half second (less than a bullet's flight time) the shooter's position as well as the intended target.

Technology breakthroughs will allow what Tether called a "network-centric approach" to airport security. Networks will take advantage of the time people spend in an airport, yet keep the passenger flow going without any specific bottlenecks, unlike today's single checkpoint security. While such a checkpoint will still likely be in place, developments such as face recognition at longer ranges than possible today will be added to security tools. He noted another development being looked at is anxiety and deception detection, which keys on sensing skin proteins, voice stress levels, and involuntary facial feature detection.

Tether added that, with 20/20 hindsight, the proper computer technology for threat indication and warning could have predicted the September 11 attacks. By collecting, detecting, and tracking information, and coordinating distributed databases, such as travel agency and credit card data records, anomalous events could be discerned.

DARPA's charge is to take technologies from the fundamental research stage of development and "mature" them to where government services and organizations can bring them into production and use. The agency focuses on potential high payoff areas--which have included the first Saturn rocket, the Stealth fighter, and the soldier's M-16. Tether noted that in the past the military was focused on outland operations and law enforcement agencies on civil protection. The War on Terrorism sees both communities' purposes coming together, where he said the issue is how to counter terrorism but still maintain privacy rights.