Anticipating military nanotechnology

Author

Altmann, Jürgen ; Gubrud, Mark

Author_Institution

Dortmund Univ., Germany

Volume

23

Issue

4

fYear

2004

Firstpage

33

Lastpage

40

Abstract

According to some military visionaries, warriors will wield rifles that fire small self-guided missiles, dispatch flying mini-robots and micro-sensor nets as scouts and sentries, and carry devices that can gather water in any environment. They will be networked to tactical command through helmets that provide an "augmented reality" overlaid with information and instructions. Even nanotechnology (NT) provides no immunity to conventional explosive devices; heavy-caliber ballistics, chemical and biological agents that manage to penetrate the layers of protection, or nuclear weapons. DARPA aims at cognitive computing systems that learn and decide autonomously in new situations. The security of all sides is served better if the more dangerous applications of NT were reliably and verifiably contained.

Keywords

augmented reality; microsensors; military computing; missile guidance; nanotechnology; robot vision; DARPA; augmented reality; biological agents; chemical agents; cognitive computing systems; dispatch flying mini-robots; heavy-caliber ballistics; micro-sensor nets; military nanotechnology; nuclear weapons; scouts; self-guided missiles; sentries; Augmented reality; Biology computing; Chemicals; Explosives; Fires; Immune system; Missiles; Nanotechnology; Nuclear weapons; Protection;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0278-0097

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MTAS.2004.1371637

Filename

1371637