From
Atoms to Devices: DARPA's Blueprint for Nano-Materials
Abstract: This session
will explore the many opportunities that exist in the field of
Nanotechnology and Nano-Materials. Presenters
will cover a far ranging set of topics, from biofabrication at the
nanoscale to biomolecular electronic, from biomagnetics to thermoelectrics,
and of course applying carbon nanotubes in multifunctional composites. The
purpose of this talk will be to set the stage for the following speakers
by providing an overview on the Nano-Materials research programs being
supported by the Defense Sciences Offices (DSO) of Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The
mission of the Defense Sciences Offices is to identify and pursue the most
promising technologies within a broad spectrum of the science and
engineering community and to develop those technologies into radically new
military capabilities. It is
within this vision that DSO is pursuing Nanotechnology.
This exciting area is generating many innovative ideas within the
office and continues to produce much debate among program managers.
This debate centers on much of the futuristic thinking found within
the field of Nanotechnology, which appears at times to be in direct
conflict with the governing laws of physics and chemistry.
Out of this agnosticism we are developing numerous efforts that
will allows us to exploit the real technical value found in the field of
Nanotechnology, and to exploit it in the development of unique military
capabilities. This
presentation will emphasize current revolutionary research that is and
will be impacting military aerospace applications.
Topical areas to be discussed include nano-science for structural
materials covering research in carbon nanotubes, amorphous materials, and
nastic structures; nano-science for sensors, which includes bioinspired
optics, and biosensors; and nano-science for military devices covering
biofabrication, metamaterials, molecular electronics, and precision
inertial navigation system. Each
topical area will be briefly reviewed; discussions will include program
objectives, technical challenges that need to be solved before practical
applications can be realized and potential military applications. |