Otherlab wins award under DARPA MTO BAA to develop alternative flight concepts

Otherlab (@otherlab) | Twitter

Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities

Link: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-BAA-14-42/listing.html
Solicitation Number: DARPA-BAA-14-42
Notice Type: Award Notice
Contract Award Date:September 2, 2015
Contract Award Number: HR0011-15-C-0143
Contract Award Dollar Amount: $996,010.00
Contractor Awarded Name: Otherlab, Inc.

Contractor Awarded Address: 3101 20th St San Francisco, California 94110 United States

Synopsis: Added: Sep 03, 2015 8:34 am

Since its inception in 1992, DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) has helped create and prevent strategic surprise through investments in compact microelectronic components such as microprocessors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and photonic devices. MTO's revolutionary work applying advanced capabilities in areas such as wide-band gap materials, phased array radars, high-energy lasers and infrared imaging have helped the United States establish and
maintain technological superiority for more than two decades. As MTO evolves to address future challenges in microsystems, the office has identified four target problem areas:

• (1) our critical reliance on the electromagnetic spectrum, 
• (2) the decentralization of effects within the battlefield, 
• (3) the impending end of Moore's law, and 
• (4) embracing and thriving in the internationalized technology base. 

There is inherent overlap between these spaces which is rife with opportunity to explore solutions.

Award

Otherlab will study four new flight concepts in a study phase, then build a prototype of the most successful concept (also known as "downselected").


Given the importance and utility of the state-of-the-art, which is still simple parachutes that haven't improved much in many years, there is considerable opportunity to be optimistic that one or more of the platforms can radically transform or improve the state of the art in quickly making a more robust and longer endurance technology. A more specific description of the technical work can be found in the following section.

Related/Background

Otherlab! Flying Things

We are building some exciting new flying machines and are looking for good engineers to join our team. Our quick-turn, prototype environment requires a self starter who loves working in small, agile teams with fast design, build, and test cycles.
A number of technological advancements have been made that allow us to take a new look at what is possible in aircraft. The advances include stronger, lighter structural materials, high power density and efficient electric motors, high energy density batteries, low-cost autonomous flight controls, and lighter weight communications packages. We are assembling a team with expertise in these areas to build several flavors of novel autonomous aircraft. This is a rare opportunity to enable new flight platforms.
Candidates should be willing to work with a far-flung team, with travel 10% of time to both domestic and international sites.
To apply for Flying Things jobs please write mark@otherlab.com

• DARPA Opportunities
• Otherlab - YouTube 
• The Robotics Inventors Who Are Trying to Take the ‘Hard’ Out of Hardware - The New York Times