Shape of things to comeNo dog left behind: DARPA seeks dog-training machines

DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, has been seeking ways to marry technology and nature in order to support soldiers in the field. Research projects include: a robotic mules (the official designation: Legged Squad Support System), monkeys using their minds to control robots, cyborg pigeons, radio-controlled rats, steerable shark spies, and more.

Katie Drummond writes that the agency —  its animating spirit was best captured by Lewis Page, who wrote that the researchers at DARPA “believe it is better to invent a head-mounted multispectral imaging device than curse the darkness” — now wants to shape real dogs’ minds, without resorting to old-fashioned human trainers, or their archaic techniques of squeaky toys and personal affection. In DARPA’s Automated mammalian training devices you will find the latest out-there ideas from the agency’s researchers. The agency is seeking proposals to create a portable gadget that “automates the training of complex behaviors in animals without human intervention.” Among the highly cerebral tasks that DARPA hopes the obedient animals will be able to accomplish: 

• Discrimination of objects, verbal commands and olfactory clues
• Retrieval and transport of objects between locations
• Association of human vocabulary with object of actions

In other words, Drummond observes, the new breed of machine-trained military dogs should at least be able to play fetch, and know not to hump your leg when you say “walk.” They should still be able to sniff out bombs, patrol military bases and rescue personnel. Those are the tasks usually assigned to hundreds of canines currently serving tours of duty.

To set the bar even higher, DARPA also hopes the machines will speed up training by collecting performance metrics that will “indicate” a dog’s “intelligence, capability, and progress.”