New DARPA Weapon - Mesh Worm

Recently found this new "weapon" while looking up some other interesting projects DARPA has been working on. The Mesh Worm is made of mesh, with a coil of wire made up of nickel, and titanium, which can contract and extend when heated. The coil of wire is wrapped around the mesh, and then a current is sent through the wire, extending, and contracting in a way to move the long mesh tube as if it were a worm.

Im not real sure how this can be used as a weapon, but the video does say what it could be used for... Fitting through tight spaces, next generation endoscopes, and prosthetics. Although those are some reasonable uses, what are some reasonable uses to use it as a weapon? Any ideas?

reply to post by A51TR3B


DARPA does not always develop weapons.

They even research footwear, clothing and medical devices, for which this may have its uses.

Remote bendable end for a camera could be of use to the military so they can peer around a corner so they can see whats to shoot at, but like alot of things it'll probably end up used 99% of the time to check for blockages in the toilets at military bases

One way would be a modern take on the Bangalore Torpedo, create long thin tubes that could move autonomously fit through tight spaces, or the earth, without having to be placed there by humans. Then exploding at a key time or position and taking out a target. With the wire acting as the locomotion this leaves a lot of space in the inside of that mesh for say something like C4 and there you have a exploding worm.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by bphi1908


Or another way I just thought up, using it as an (IED) diffuser in countries where its needed most.
A way this would work is to put a camera, and some kind of digging tool on the worm, and go underground to where the IED is and diffuse it from there. Not sure If they already have something like this, but sounds like it could be useful.

reply to post by A51TR3B


That could pave the way for creating artificial muscles.
A very interesting invention.

I dont know about you guys, but i see a super soldier suit of mesh which is controlled by micro circuitry....
It will act as an exoskeleton for soldiers to lift heavy weapons or carry loads of super human weights etc....
maybe even a jump suit would be possible if the stuff unrolls faster with more current applied to it.....

I have been in the orthodontic industry for just shy of 20 years now. Nickel-Titanium alloy wires used in orthodontics has been around for some time now. The alloys we use are thermally activated where they are almost dead soft when cooled and become "active" or stiff at around normal body temperature. This allows for the orthodontist to place the wire more easily into the braces when the wire is cool and when the wire heats up, applies force to the braces to move the teeth.

Here is a wiki article on shape memory alloys:

Wiki Article

And on shape memory polymers:

Another Wiki Article

reply to post by grey580


Artificial muscles can be used for many things, new forms of prosthetics.
Good idea.

reply to post by A51TR3B


This will soon be used for Colon exams...

Just ran through this thread but no one mentioned about it's other use (official). It's not so much worms that spy or anything so wild. It's being researched as a way to create an exo-suit that has the same characteristics as the muscles on/in a human body. Form-fitted in micro strands, these will enable increased speed/strength for the test subject. It is lighter and more flexible than a metal exo-suit and if all goes well to be used for the Navy and Marine division as it's free-flowing form is useful under adverse conditions/environments. You ever want the 'skinny' on projects like these, let me know and I'll disclose what I can.

reply to post by A51TR3B


That's freakin freaky and a little obscene.

Hahaha, I couldn't help but laugh at the way this thing moves about. I think this will definitely have more of a civilian use than military. Someone mentioned artificial muscle tissue, and that seems to make the most sense. Pretty nifty little invention!

Come to think of it, there is a video game out there (I apologize a hundred times over for referencing something like this but..) that follows the same pattern. Crysis. Except what you don't see is that under the outer layer and "muscles" is a VERY complex grid of conductive wires and mesh (like that worn by athletes when exercising) to allow the wearer needed air. When a current is flowing around the skin for so long it has certain reactions, that unless buffered acts in a way that draws out oxygen (increased minimal heat) when there is movement continually. Thus breathability. Not so important with neoprene suits or scuba gear, however.

It must contact the skin, however to activate the sensors (pressure sensitive), that then alert the system to contract or expand a specific node.