DARPA moves ahead with electronic tags for soldiers
It may not be going so far as to chip every soldier with an implant, but it looks like DARPA is now moving ahead with plans to give soldiers a slightly less invasive electronic tag. Apparently, the so-called Individual Force Protection System (or IFPS) will measure about three inches long, and it'll communicate with an array of vehicle-borne and portable receivers, which DARPA says will be able to pick up the tag's signal and pinpoint the soldier's location even in the most electronically-crowded battlefield. That's apparently also all done without GPS, which has the added side benefit of greatly increasing the tag's battery life. Of course, there's no word as to when the tags might actually be deployed, but the system itself is apparently already pretty far along in development, and the agency has now tapped Science Applications International Corporation to bring it to fruition.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5thMeridian @ Jul 18th 2008 3:39PM
Beware of SOP!
Carmine @ Jul 18th 2008 4:39PM
War has changed.
Seminole @ Jul 18th 2008 4:39PM
Exactly! No one at the DoD or DARPA has played MGS4 obviously. Wait till Liquid Ahmadinejad gets his hands on GW...
Mr.Tech @ Jul 18th 2008 5:48PM
Technology will be our down fall if our enemies can tap into our network and find out where are soldiers are exactly at but it can also be deadly if we can lie about or location. It's just so complex....
thedesolate1 @ Jul 18th 2008 5:51PM
Snake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Snake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Jeans @ Jul 18th 2008 6:24PM
War changes us. It transforms us into Beasts,
Detox @ Jul 18th 2008 6:28PM
The DARPA Chief's a Patriot!!!
Jonathan-DBOSS @ Jul 18th 2008 8:43PM
Let's call Drebin.
Dan Davis @ Jul 18th 2008 3:39PM
As a former Grunt, I think this is a great idea. Much less invasive than chipping Joe like a dog.
retro77 @ Jul 18th 2008 4:02PM
+1 Oohrah!
Will H. @ Jul 18th 2008 4:28PM
Friendly fire is noones friend!
Ben @ Jul 18th 2008 8:24PM
As a former Army medic, this would be awesome for medical histories, allergies, etc. Scan it in and instant info- like what the CAC card should be. No more red dogtag to pull out from underneath all the MOLLE gear, IBA's, and ACU's.
Hooah
Macro @ Jul 18th 2008 3:40PM
I've got one question.. what stops the enemy from using this against you?
John @ Jul 18th 2008 3:42PM
I dont know, but its a simple basic fundamental question im pretty positive DARPA has already thought of.
Macro @ Jul 18th 2008 3:44PM
Yeah and they said Wifi couldn't be hacked either now i can do it in 20 minutes.
retro77 @ Jul 18th 2008 4:05PM
Knowing DARPA its running on a "network" that we don't even know about yet. Remeber who created the Internet? Thats right, ARPA/DARPA
Patrick @ Jul 18th 2008 4:28PM
@retro77:
what does al gore have to do with this?
Will H. @ Jul 18th 2008 4:31PM
Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but if this technology was actually meant to be secret, we wouldn't be reading about it on engadget. Lilke most modern military technology its main purpose is aesthetic.
retro77 @ Jul 18th 2008 5:01PM
Sorry, Patrick, I was trying to create reference there that this might be running on some form of communication we have no knowledge of yet. Much like the internet when it was created. The average Joe on the street did not know that we could transmit information around the world in a few seconds.
So in terms of security, with out seeing the specifications, who knows how secure it is or even what wave length it is on.
~retro
George @ Jul 18th 2008 5:03PM
@Will H
What are you talking about? Aesthetic? You have it backwards: military tech design is not focused on aesthetics.
CharlieX @ Jul 18th 2008 6:38PM
Seems to me anything that broadcasts a signal can be detected... even if you can't read that data... you might be able to triangulate where it's coming from.
Unless it broadcasts in subspace or some nonsense...
Macro @ Jul 18th 2008 7:07PM
CharlieX that was exactly my thought.
OneLove @ Jul 21st 2008 11:00AM
what prevents the enemy from using your gun against you?
Mustaine @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:44PM
It should only be used passively, maybe aircraft/artillery could 'ping' as an extra measure to avoid friendly fire. I don't think an 'always-on' system would be wise.
Lowest Ranked @ Jul 18th 2008 3:41PM
Maybe this will help when we want to actually return our soldiers.
jason @ Jul 18th 2008 3:42PM
How do they charge them?
I would like to see the logistics on recharging the tags and then redistributing them. seems like it would add a lot of extra work that could be applied elsewhere.
Conor Maher @ Jul 18th 2008 4:00PM
They probably charge using inertia, I know there are several low power devices that can do this, certain watches have the technology anyway
THJ @ Jul 18th 2008 5:30PM
Get a few cases of beer, put a dress on a segway, and remove the charging cap.
Fred @ Jul 18th 2008 3:43PM
Just what we need! Something that gives the exact position of our forces! As long as the bad guys don't have a receiver you're in good shape! Of course if they have a 12 year old hacker on their payroll, you're pretty much boned. Seriously, as long as it's secure, great. But it's a little scary.
Lowest Ranked @ Jul 18th 2008 3:48PM
Nothing is secure.
If there is a way to build something, there is a way to un-build it.
dustandechoes91 @ Jul 18th 2008 3:44PM
And here I thought we would learn a lesson from MGS4......
I guess the guys at DARPA only have 360s or wiis
5thMeridian @ Jul 18th 2008 3:47PM
Security? Do you seriously think DARPA hasn't thought of that? I bet it is just as, if not more, secure than the rest of the military's communications.
I just read through the presentation. Location is accurate to 70 FEET. That seems pretty shitty to me. 70ft in a dense city could mean a lot of buildings.
BigD145 @ Jul 18th 2008 3:53PM
Shouldn't they need something like this on every body part?
"Where's his leg?"
"Two blocks east of his head."
5thMeridian @ Jul 18th 2008 4:00PM
Crass.
Jim @ Jul 18th 2008 4:08PM
Hey, another day, another IED. SNAFU.
I'm Oscar Mike.
George @ Jul 18th 2008 4:14PM
Inappropriate.
Fred @ Jul 18th 2008 4:15PM
Very Classy. I'm not gonna get all "They're defending America!" jingoistic on you. Thats just a shitty thing to say about anybody. Asshat.
John H. @ Jul 18th 2008 4:54PM
@BigD145
you really sicken me
Seminole @ Jul 18th 2008 5:04PM
F-ing tool.
marty.com.au @ Jul 18th 2008 5:59PM
Firstly, @BigD145
its an obvious point.. so I dont see anything wrong with his comment..
and @ averyone else who said its a sick comment.. try an pull your head out of you ass for three seconds lighten up and have a think.. you have an area full of people with guns, bombs, grenades, things that go bang... Obviously not designed to give people on the reciving end a comforting massage...
What do you THINK is going to happen??
if you cant have a laugh at that comment, then I guess you have never enjoyed an action movie on TV either where someone gets blownup. Oh, thats ok because it was the 'bad guy' that gets blown up... or "not one of ours"
Dan Davis @ Jul 18th 2008 6:01PM
OK, OK... this WAS pretty funny.
Fortunately, having served in Iraq, I am allowed to laugh.
BigD145 @ Jul 18th 2008 7:33PM
Talking about reality is shitty and inappropriate? Wow. I had no idea. Next time I'll say they should keep these tags on the soldiers even after they are discharged. You know, so the body can be found in a timely manner swinging from the rafters after they didn't get any help coping with life without war. Oops, I did it again...
You don't like it? Stop voting people into power that start these senseless wars.
Ristic @ Jul 18th 2008 11:23PM
Im with Big D
inhaling aerosol cans FTL
OneLove @ Jul 21st 2008 11:05AM
Americans are in denial all the time. oh no!...How dare you talk about war and death cause that will make it real and spoil my morning coffee.
outphase @ Jul 18th 2008 4:15PM
yay SOP system!
Dave @ Jul 18th 2008 4:20PM
Security doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, the enemy doesn't need to know if it's Joe or Bob or Johnny sitting there. Just the fact any kind of signal is being emitted will let them know an American soldier is sitting behind that rock over there. Just sounds like a "Hey, I'm over here, shoot me!" beacon.
FAIL
Sukhminder @ Jul 18th 2008 7:45PM
I think one of the big benefits is 'friendly fire' incidents. Prevent planes dropping bombs on US/Allied troops. This way they can 'see' the troops on the ground.
Rainier @ Jul 18th 2008 4:33PM
What they should do with this type of technology is hide it in (or make it part of) the weapons, military personnel carry. This way, if the enemy decides to loot a fallen soldier's weapn, we can track them to, I don't know, perhaps their stronghold?
"You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship? I'm taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work."
5thMeridian @ Jul 18th 2008 4:53PM
Good call. Now that you said that it seems obvious. Which leads me to believe someone in the pentagon has already thought of it.
Seriously though, one step closer to the world of MGS4.
iEye @ Jul 18th 2008 4:34PM
I'm still for the non human battle field where all wars are fought with robots...