DARPA Will Seed Oceans with Robots: Falling Up

The U.S. military is getting creative. They want to seed the ocean floor with robotic drones, sensors, or decoys to complete missions that range from rescue to disruption. The catch? These robots would be remotely controlled, and would rise from the depths when activated.

The idea for this new technology comes from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The initiative, named the Upward Falling Payloads program, would hide underwater capsules on the ocean floor that would protect sensor buoys or flying drones. When remotely activated, these capsules would float to the surface and release the robot inside.

Since the ocean is so vast, these capsules would have no trouble hiding. The new technology could allow the military to perform decoy or deception missions, and could provide needed backup for military personnel.  That said, DARPA emphasized that this program is specifically designed to not be a weapons program, and that the robots would have non-lethal intent.

This program highlights the U.S. Navy's growing interest in robots and flying drones that can help supplement traditional warships and aircraft, according to CBS News.

Starting Jan. 25, DARPA will seek proposals for these capsules and the technologies associated with them. Innovators will have to overcome difficult technical challenges, such as how to create capsules that can survive ocean pressure at extreme depths, and how to make sure the communication system will be able to contact the technology after years in "sleep" mode.

While these challenges are certainly things that need to be considered, DARPA is optimistic about its program. It hopes that it will attract telecom and deep-ocean engineering expertise as well as members from the scientific community.