A public information forum regarding the first public competition to be sponsored by the director, defense research and engineering will be held Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT at the Federal Gateway Conference Center, 1100 New Jersey Ave., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20003.
The public will be briefed by the wearable power prize program managers on the details of the competition, objectives, rules, procedures, intent to compete notification, and the current plan for the Fall 2008 competition week. First prize for the wearable power competition will be awarded $1 million.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the U.S. Army Program Manager Soldier Warrior and the U.S. Marine Corps Program Executive Officer for Expeditionary Power offices to provide a better understanding of current warfighter power requirements and battery burden.
A list of acceptable battery chemistries and fuels for use in competition will be available and all presentations will be posted on the Web site: http://www.dod.mil/ddre/prize/topic.html.
This prize program seeks to elicit innovative solutions from a broad range of sources to provide superior technical solutions to the individual energy needs of servicemembers in the field. DoD seeks a wearable power system that lasts four days and significantly reduces the weight of the battery load typically carried by those in the field.
Media and the public are invited to attend and must register by Monday, Sept.17 at http://www.dod.mil/ddre/prize/topic_wearpwr_forum.html#1.
Showing posts with label wearable power innovations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wearable power innovations. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wanted: Wearable Power System, Batteries Included
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
July 25, 2007 - The Defense Department is offering $1 million to the person who invents a way for servicemembers to take a load off. During a conference call with Internet "bloggers" today, William Rees, deputy undersecretary of defense for laboratories and basic sciences, explained the department's "wearable power" competition announced earlier this month.
Currently, an individual servicemember on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan carries roughly 40 pounds of batteries to provide four days' worth of power. The department's goal, he explained, is to lower the load to less than 9 pounds.
The essential electronic equipment that dismounted warfighters carry today -- radios, night-vision devices, global positioning systems -- runs on batteries. This competition will gather and test good ideas for reducing the weight of batteries that servicemembers carry.
"We are setting the bar high," Rees told the bloggers. "We don't think it's unrealistically high, but we acknowledge it's a challenge."
To spur private citizens, companies or international organizations into designing a light, wearable electric power system for warfighters, the department is offering $1 million for first place, $500,000 for second place and $250,000 for third place in the competition.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in a final competitive demonstration, planned for fall 2008. At this "wear-off," individuals or teams will demonstrate their prototype systems under realistic conditions, Defense Department officials said.
The top three competitors that demonstrate a complete, wearable system that produces 20 watts average power for 96 hours but weighs less than 4 kilograms will win the prizes.
"The mantra is four days, 4 kilograms," Rees said during an interview earlier this month.
Information about the technical details, contest rules and qualification requirements is posted on the Defense Department Web site. A forum to be held in Washington in September will review these details for potential competitors.
Competitors must register to participate in the prize program by Nov. 30. The competition is open for international participation; however the individual or team leader must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Details on the forum, as well as contest registration and rules, are posted on the Defense Research and Engineering Prize Web site, www.dod.mil/ddre/prize.
American Forces Press Service
July 25, 2007 - The Defense Department is offering $1 million to the person who invents a way for servicemembers to take a load off. During a conference call with Internet "bloggers" today, William Rees, deputy undersecretary of defense for laboratories and basic sciences, explained the department's "wearable power" competition announced earlier this month.
Currently, an individual servicemember on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan carries roughly 40 pounds of batteries to provide four days' worth of power. The department's goal, he explained, is to lower the load to less than 9 pounds.
The essential electronic equipment that dismounted warfighters carry today -- radios, night-vision devices, global positioning systems -- runs on batteries. This competition will gather and test good ideas for reducing the weight of batteries that servicemembers carry.
"We are setting the bar high," Rees told the bloggers. "We don't think it's unrealistically high, but we acknowledge it's a challenge."
To spur private citizens, companies or international organizations into designing a light, wearable electric power system for warfighters, the department is offering $1 million for first place, $500,000 for second place and $250,000 for third place in the competition.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in a final competitive demonstration, planned for fall 2008. At this "wear-off," individuals or teams will demonstrate their prototype systems under realistic conditions, Defense Department officials said.
The top three competitors that demonstrate a complete, wearable system that produces 20 watts average power for 96 hours but weighs less than 4 kilograms will win the prizes.
"The mantra is four days, 4 kilograms," Rees said during an interview earlier this month.
Information about the technical details, contest rules and qualification requirements is posted on the Defense Department Web site. A forum to be held in Washington in September will review these details for potential competitors.
Competitors must register to participate in the prize program by Nov. 30. The competition is open for international participation; however the individual or team leader must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Details on the forum, as well as contest registration and rules, are posted on the Defense Research and Engineering Prize Web site, www.dod.mil/ddre/prize.
Friday, July 06, 2007
$1 Million Prize for Wearable Power Innovations
Defense Department Offers $1 Million Prize for Wearable Power Innovations
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 5, 2007 – A typical dismounted troop going out for a four-day mission carries as much as 40 pounds of batteries and rechargers in his pack. The Defense Department wants to reduce that load significantly, and it's dangling a $1 million carrot to entice people to help them do it. The Defense Department launched its "wearable power" prize competition today to come up with new innovations to lighten warfighters' loads.
The goal is to reduce the weight for the power system that drives radios, night-vision devices, global positioning systems and other combat gear, including a recharging system, to about 2 pounds per day, explained William Rees, deputy undersecretary of laboratories and basic sciences.
"The mantra is four days, 4 kilograms," he said.
He expressed hope that a competition will attract some of the best minds in business, academia and elsewhere to help achieve that goal.
After all, he noted, it was the opportunity to win a prize that drove Charles Lindbergh to make the first nonstop trans-Atlantic flight.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has experienced similar successes using a contest to attract competitors to develop innovative unmanned vehicles able to navigate a 132-mile course through the Mojave Desert.
Now the Defense Research and Engineering Office is hoping to tap into that same competitive spirit to develop longer-duration, lighter-weight power supplies.
Three prizes will be awarded in November 2008: $1 million, $500,000 and $250,000.
Competitors have until Nov. 30 to register for the competition. Everyone -- private citizens, companies, international organizations -- is eligible, Rees said, although the lead member of all teams must be a U.S. citizen.
"If one of them thinks that they can hit it out of the park on this, we are not prejudiced about the origin of it," Rees said. "We just want to lighten the pack load for our folks in uniform."
Entries are expected to run the gamut. Rees said he envisions creative ways to generate power on the battlefield, from solar generators to devices that capture the power created when a soldier's boot hits the ground.
"We want a prototype," he said. "We want something that is a little bit more than your standard duct tape and baling wire, but it is still a prototype. It doesn't have to be a finished system, but it has to demonstrate what we need it to do."
Lightening troops' loads will go a long way toward boosting their effectiveness, he said.
"Look at what it is that drives success in battle. It's inevitably a combination of training and your ability to have decision making on your feet," Rees said. "And that ability to have decision making is directly reduced by your fatigue. The more weight we can take off your back, the better your decision making in battle."
Information about the technical details, contest rules and qualification requirements is posted on the Defense Department Web site. A forum to be held in Washington in September will review these details for potential competitors.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 5, 2007 – A typical dismounted troop going out for a four-day mission carries as much as 40 pounds of batteries and rechargers in his pack. The Defense Department wants to reduce that load significantly, and it's dangling a $1 million carrot to entice people to help them do it. The Defense Department launched its "wearable power" prize competition today to come up with new innovations to lighten warfighters' loads.
The goal is to reduce the weight for the power system that drives radios, night-vision devices, global positioning systems and other combat gear, including a recharging system, to about 2 pounds per day, explained William Rees, deputy undersecretary of laboratories and basic sciences.
"The mantra is four days, 4 kilograms," he said.
He expressed hope that a competition will attract some of the best minds in business, academia and elsewhere to help achieve that goal.
After all, he noted, it was the opportunity to win a prize that drove Charles Lindbergh to make the first nonstop trans-Atlantic flight.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has experienced similar successes using a contest to attract competitors to develop innovative unmanned vehicles able to navigate a 132-mile course through the Mojave Desert.
Now the Defense Research and Engineering Office is hoping to tap into that same competitive spirit to develop longer-duration, lighter-weight power supplies.
Three prizes will be awarded in November 2008: $1 million, $500,000 and $250,000.
Competitors have until Nov. 30 to register for the competition. Everyone -- private citizens, companies, international organizations -- is eligible, Rees said, although the lead member of all teams must be a U.S. citizen.
"If one of them thinks that they can hit it out of the park on this, we are not prejudiced about the origin of it," Rees said. "We just want to lighten the pack load for our folks in uniform."
Entries are expected to run the gamut. Rees said he envisions creative ways to generate power on the battlefield, from solar generators to devices that capture the power created when a soldier's boot hits the ground.
"We want a prototype," he said. "We want something that is a little bit more than your standard duct tape and baling wire, but it is still a prototype. It doesn't have to be a finished system, but it has to demonstrate what we need it to do."
Lightening troops' loads will go a long way toward boosting their effectiveness, he said.
"Look at what it is that drives success in battle. It's inevitably a combination of training and your ability to have decision making on your feet," Rees said. "And that ability to have decision making is directly reduced by your fatigue. The more weight we can take off your back, the better your decision making in battle."
Information about the technical details, contest rules and qualification requirements is posted on the Defense Department Web site. A forum to be held in Washington in September will review these details for potential competitors.
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