DARPA Seeks Ideas for Futuristic Swarming Drones

The Pentagon’s emerging tech agency is looking for ideas on how to develop technologies and artificial intelligence applications using game-based swarm simulators.

Called OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics – or OFFSET for short – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s program envisions future small-unit forces using swarms of up to 250 small drones that would provide capabilities to ground units in challenging urban environments that restrict communications, sensing, maneuverability and autonomous operations.

OFFSET would leverage emerging technologies in swarm autonomy and human-swarm teaming, to enable rapid development and deployment of capabilities.

The program has five “sprints” and each emphasizes one of the key OFFSET thrust areas, DARPA said. Those include swarm tactics, swarm autonomy, human-swarm teaming, virtual environment, and physical testbed.

DARPA now seeks creative proposals for its fourth swarm sprint, which aims to do two things: build synthetic technologies in the OFFSET virtual environments and identify applications of AI to find new ways to learn swarm tactics.

Proposers may submit to one or both of the topic areas for the fourth swarm sprint. Application deadline is May 1.

Low Angle View Of Drone Flying Against Sky

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