US Military Gears Up For Cyborg Soldiers With New DARPA Project

Will cyborg soldiers be a reality soon? The U.S. military is working with DARPA to develop an implantable
chip that will facilitate communication between biological and mechanical sources of information.
Photo: Stuart Pilbrow | Flickr


Cyborg soldiers could be part of the U.S. military soon as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on creating an implantable chip that can connect a human brain to a computer to facilitate data delivery.

In the case of the U.S. military, this could mean faster information acquisition on enemy position and swifter relay of instructions on the field.

DARPA formed the Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) program to come up with a neural interface, a system that connects biological nervous systems with digital devices, creating "unprecedented signal resolution and data-transfer bandwidth" between the two.

NESD program manager Phillip Alvelda pointed out that the best of today's brain-computer interface systems are similar to two supercomputers trying to communicate with each other through an old 300-baud modem. Currently, approved neural interfaces have just 100 channels, each responsible for compiling signals from thousands of neurons at the same time, resulting in not just imprecision but noise as well.

"Imagine what will become possible when we upgrade our tools to really open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics," he said.

Think of the neural interface DARPA is developing as a translator that could turn electrochemical language from the brain into digital signals that a device can understand, and vice versa. The NESD is looking at developing a system capable of communication so efficient that it can handle signals from up to a million neurons within any part of the brain.

Given what it is trying to accomplish, the NESD program will require the expertise of scientists from different fields, such as medical device packaging, low-power electronics, synthetic biology, photonics and neuroscience. To translate biological signals into digital ones, scientists will have to use advanced neuro-computation and mathematical techniques.

The U.S. military is hopeful that industry leaders will partner with DARPA to further research for the NESD program through manufacturing and prototyping services, as well as intellectual property.

DARPA will be hosting a meeting from Feb. 2 to 3 in Arlington, Virginia to gather potential participants in the NESD program. Over the course of four years, the agency anticipates that its investment in the NESD program will reach up to $60 million.

Oh please no. There is a threshold of human-AI line, which I fear shouldnt be crossed.

The existing BCI's are rather large and unwieldy:







Certainly too large for battlefield use.

The smaller BCI's are online too though, but tend to lack muscle:

The device transmits data out of the brain at rate of 48 megabits per second, about as fast as a residential Internet connection, says Nurmikko. It uses about 30 milliwatts of power—a fraction of what a smartphone uses—and is powered by a battery.



On the plus-side, it's wireless.

Instead of a cyborg, why not simply create a fully unmanned infantry soldier? The Americans already has created the PETMAN and Atlas robots.

Rajaraja Chola said:

Oh please no. There is a threshold of human-AI line, which I fear shouldnt be crossed.

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I believe in future, AI and Human intellect will be merged to form a singularity. I'd prefer to live under the command of a highly matured AI over the retard, we are presently under.

Skull and Bones said:

I believe in future, AI and Human intellect will be merged to form a singularity. I'd prefer to live under the command of a highly matured AI over the retard, we are presently under.

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Why do we need to supress Human nature. Cheating, lies, trust, friendship, love are all traits of humans. They are beautiful. Hardly doubt an AI can understand that

Technogaianist said:

The existing BCI's are rather large and unwieldy:

Certainly too large for battlefield use.

The smaller BCI's are online too though, but tend to lack muscle:

The device transmits data out of the brain at rate of 48 megabits per second, about as fast as a residential Internet connection, says Nurmikko. It uses about 30 milliwatts of power—a fraction of what a smartphone uses—and is powered by a battery.

On the plus-side, it's wireless.

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Be useful in hacking as well as manning planes and exoskeletons and giant mechs with their minds.

Cossack25A1 said:

Instead of a cyborg, why not simply create a fully unmanned infantry soldier? The Americans already has created the PETMAN and Atlas robots.

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Lol at unmanned infantry soldier

persona_non_grata said:

Lol at unmanned infantry soldier

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Why not? If they can make an unmanned firefighting robot for use on rolling, damaged ships - as seen with this USN SAFFiR:






They can arm one too and use it for infantry applications.

Oldman1 said:

Be useful in hacking.

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That was the first thing I thought of too. Probably watched too much Ghost in the Shell.

Technogaianist said:

Why not?

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I watch star wars too Ma'am. I am aware of the battle hardened driod army of the trade federation

I was amused by his choice of words. It was like calling an aircraft "A ship that flies with fire coming from its rear"

Cossack25A1 said:

Instead of a cyborg, why not simply create a fully unmanned infantry soldier? The Americans already has created the PETMAN and Atlas robots.

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If there was a human close at hand to monitor I could see it, but it is a real ethical problem to have an unmanned killing machine with no human decision process in the loop.

Skull and Bones said:

I believe in future, AI and Human intellect will be merged to form a singularity. I'd prefer to live under the command of a highly matured AI over the retard, we are presently under.

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Unless a Skynet like situation occurs.

Brahmaputra Mail said:

Unless a Skynet like situation occurs.

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Skynet perceived human as a threat to its own existence, every self aware consciousness will value its own existence over other. Humans are a threat to its own existence and countless other species. Eliminating humans, and moving them out of the decision making process for the whole planet ecosystem was a smart decision to make.

I support Skynet. World cannot support 7 billion humans. It has be bought down to 500 million.

Rajaraja Chola said:

Why do we need to supress Human nature. Cheating, lies, trust, friendship, love are all traits of humans. They are beautiful. Hardly doubt an AI can understand that

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The evolution of machines is 5 million times faster than humans, last year machines learned how to lie.

Skull and Bones said:

Skynet perceived human as a threat to its own existence, every self aware consciousness will value its own existence over other. Humans are a threat to its own existence and countless other species. Eliminating humans, and moving them out of the decision making process for the whole planet ecosystem was a smart decision to make.

I support Skynet. World cannot support 7 billion humans. It has be bought down to 500 million.

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Guess I will have to become John Connor then.

Brahmaputra Mail said:

Guess I will have to become John Connor then.

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Did you know that Skynet actually won the war? Think deeply in to it.