| A -- DEFENSE SCIENCES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY |
| Program Summary |
 |
| Title: |
A -- DEFENSE SCIENCES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY |
| GovCB Opps ID : |
ADP11933431770000909 |
| Document Type: |
Modification to a Previous Notice |
| FSC Code: |
A - Research and development
|
| Solicitation No.: |
BAA07-21 |
| Source: |
http://www1.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/BAA07%2D21/Modification%2009.html |
Posted Date:
|
Oct 25, 2007 |
| Last Update: |
Feb 04, 2008 |
| Due Date: |
Feb 14, 2008 |
|
| Description |
|
General Information
| Document Type: |
Modification to a Previous Notice |
| Solicitation Number: |
BAA07-21 |
| Posted Date: |
Oct 25, 2007 |
| Original Response Date: |
Feb 14, 2008 |
| Current Response Date: |
Feb 14, 2008 |
| Original Archive Date: |
Feb 29, 2008 |
| Current Archive Date: |
Feb 29, 2008 |
| Classification Code: |
A -- Research & Development |
| Naics Code: |
541710 -- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (NAICS 2002) |
Contracting Office Address
Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714, UNITED STATES
Description
PROGRAMMABLE MATTER; BAA 07-21, Addendum 7; Full Proposals Due: January 3, 2008, no later than 4:00PM ET. Technical Point of Contact: Dr. Mitchell R. Zakin, DARPA/DSO; Ph: (703) 248-1509, Email: BAA07-21@darpa.mil; URL: http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/solicit.htm; Website Submission: http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa/
DESCRIPTION
(Note: This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Addendum 7 is submitted as a Special Focus Area as described in the original BAA, 07-21.)
The properties of future military systems must be more fluid and controllable in order to meet the challenges of complex missions. One means of achieving such enhanced capability is the development of dynamic materials which can be directly programmed to reversibly change their fundamental properties, on demand and in real-time, when desired by the user. These properties include size, shape, form factor, and moduli. Such programmable materials will create revolutionary new capabilities for the warfighter. A simple example would be an ?Instant Toolkit,? an amorphous material that can be programmed to instantly become a hammer, wrench, or screwdriver on demand, and then return to its initial form so it can be reused.
In response to this challenge, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking innovative proposals to develop Programmable Matter: a new functional form of matter constructed from mesoscale building blocks (?MesoParticles? up to 1 cm size), which reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command. These 3D objects will exhibit all the functionality of their conventional counterparts. Programmable Matter represents the convergence of chemistry, information theory, and control, into a new materials design paradigm, referred to here as ?InfoChemistry,? building information directly into materials.
A key feature of Programmable Matter is the MesoParticle-based construction. At the mesoscale level, building blocks are large enough to contain intricate structures with real functionality. MesoParticles can have a variety of sizes, shapes, compositions, and functions; they communicate and interlock with their neighbors to create dynamic bulk structures with mechanical integrity. Building blocks can include mesoscale computers, wireless transmitters, machines, gears, fluidics, and other devices, as well as polymer, metal, ceramic, and other particles. MesoParticles are of sufficient size to build practical macroscale objects. Importantly, MesoParticles exhibit the critical feature of separability of structure and function: the external geometry determines packing, assembly, and bulk structure, while the interior has the machinery to process information, generate action, etc. In principle, separability can be exploited to create dynamic materials of unprecedented complexity and capability.
In order to create 3D objects from building blocks, Programmable Matter must be capable of performing the following key unit operations in sequence:
1. Activate by external signal;
2. Decode and propagate instructions;
3. Translate information into action;
4. Transport particles and assemble shapes;
5. Interlock particles to form object;
6. Perform error-checking and encode final state information;
7. Activate by external signal; and
8. Disassemble into starting materials.
The first phase of this program focuses on the design and modeling of practical Programmable Matter with manufacturable properties. The second phase focuses on experimental realization of the key elements of Programmable Matter: assembly of 3D solid objects of varying geometry from a common set of building blocks, and reversible interlocking of MesoParticles to create bulk materials with the elastic modulus of typical plastics. The specific Phase I/II milestones are presented under the Program Goals and Milestones section.
BACKGROUND
Critical features that must be considered in the development of Programmable Matter include:
Chemistry: (1) Mesoscale particles with the right size, shape, composition, and functionality; (2) Means for transporting particles around in fluid and dry states; and (3) Interlocking/adhesive mechanisms to reversibly hold particles together and create materials with mechanical integrity.
Information Theory: Particles that variably decode and encode information (i.e., instruction sets), propagate information, and translate instructions into action (e.g., bind, move, etc.), in response to internal or external commands.
Control: Particles that are addressable by external means (e.g., EM field), and that ideally have error-checking capability to test the structural/functional integrity of the assembled object.
To achieve the Programmable Matter vision, key technological breakthroughs will center on the following critical areas:
1. Encoding information into chemistry, or fusing materials with machines;
2. Fabrication of mesoscale particles with arbitrary complex shapes, composition, and function;
3. Interlocking/adhesion mechanisms that are strong AND reversible;
4. Global assembly strategies that translate information into action; and
5. Mathematical theory for construction of 3D objects from particles.
Of critical importance are radical new material architectures that maximize the efficiency of information processing/transfer, and design rules for the optimal number, size, and shape of particles required to create objects of a specific size and spatial feature resolution.
Any innovative approach for Programmable Matter that meets the goals of this BAA will be considered.
PROGRAM GOALS AND MILESTONES
The goal of this program is to demonstrate a new functional form of matter, based on mesoscale particles, which can reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command.
Program Phases
The Programmable Matter Program will be separated into three phases. The goal of Phase I is to develop designs, theoretical models and computer simulations for Programmable Matter. The goal of Phase II is the physical realization of Programmable Matter. Depending on the success of the Phase II demonstrations, the goal of Phase III will be to develop fully-functional Programmable Matter for specific applications.
Phase I will be a 6-month research effort. Phase II will be a research effort of 18 months or less; shorter duration efforts are strongly encouraged.
A successful proposal will thoroughly cover all details for meeting the milestones set forth for both Phase I and Phase II. Thus programs should be submitted as 24-month (or less) efforts encompassing both Phase I and an optional Phase II, including detailed budgets for both phases. At the end of each phase, performance will be evaluated based on achievement of the stated milestones. Successful completion of Phase I does not guarantee selection in Phase II.
Program Milestones
The Phase I milestone is:
1. Build a mathematical model that, given a set of mesoscale particles with manufacturable properties, theoretically confirms at least one viable procedure for constructing and disassembling macroscopic 3D solid objects under external command. The objects must have functional properties that are useful in the real world (e.g., a wrench).
The Phase II milestones are:
1. Starting with a single set of mesoscale particles, experimentally demonstrate externally-directed assembly of four distinct macroscopic 3D solids (cube, cylinder, sphere, triangular prism), each ~100 cm3 in volume;
2. Experimentally demonstrate interlocking/adhesion of mesoscale particles to create bulk matter with an elastic modulus typical of plastics (0.2 to 4 GPa), followed by unlocking to recover the original particles.
Phase III is expected to be a research effort of between 18 and 24 months. The Phase III milestones will be determined by the results of the Phase I/II effort and the specific applications that are proposed.
To realize the program vision and meet the Phase I/II milestones, each research effort requires performers with expertise in materials chemistry and physics, information theory, control theory, modeling, and computer simulation. Teaming is encouraged, especially when interdisciplinary approaches to a problem are required.
FULL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All proposals submitted electronically by means of an Electronic Business Application Tool or proposal submission web site (not including Grants.gov) must be encrypted using Winzip or PKZip with 256-bit AES encryption. Only one zipped/encrypted file will be accepted per proposal and proposals not zipped/encrypted will be rejected by DARPA. An encryption password form must be completed and emailed to BAA07-21@darpa.mil at the time of proposal submission. See https://www.tfims.darpa.mil/baa/ for the encryption password form.
The word ?PASSWORD? must appear in the subject line of the above email and there are minimum security requirements for establishing the encryption password. Failure to provide the encryption password may result in the proposal not being evaluated. For further information and instructions on how to zip and encrypt proposal files, see https://www.tfims.darpa.mil/baa/.
Note: the TFIMS website listed above will not be used for DSO proposal submissions. After visiting the TFIMS link for encryption instructions, please use the following website for all DSO white paper and proposal submissions: http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa/.
Full proposals will be due January 03, 2008, NO LATER THAN 4:00PM ET. Proposals submitted by fax will not be accepted. Note that a full proposal may be submitted at any time before the close of the solicitation.
As described in BAA 07-21, full proposals shall consist of two volumes: Technical and Cost. Follow the general guidelines for full proposal format and content provided at: http://www.darpa.mil/baa/BAA07-21pt2.html.
In addition to the guidelines found at the link above, the Technical section of the research proposal must contain the following information:
1. Concept Definition: Clearly describe the proposed chemical, information theory, and control concepts for Programmable Matter, including the structure and composition of the MesoParticles, the means for particle manipulation and assembly, the activation process, and how information will be processed and translated into action. Describe the underlying physical mechanisms that enable construction of solid 3D objects from MesoParticle building blocks, and the reversible interlocking/adhesion of particles to achieve desired bulk moduli. Proposals MUST describe an end-to-end solution for Programmable Matter, from modeling/simulation to physical realization; the proposer team must have demonstrated expertise in ALL pertinent technical areas.
2. Supporting Technical Analysis: Provide a detailed analysis of the technical rationale that supports the proposed Programmable Matter concept, including performance estimates.
3. Research Plan: Provide a detailed research plan that describes the methods for achieving the Phase I/II milestones specified in this BAA. Provide several specific, quantitative milestones at intermediate stages of the program to assess progress towards meeting the Phase I/II milestones.
4. Brief list of relevant references.
Awards made under this BAA are subject to the provisions of the FAR Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflicts of Interest. Consequently, all proposers and proposed subcontractors must, therefore, affirm whether they are providing scientific, engineering and technical assistance (SETA) or similar support to any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract, either sponsored and awarded by DARPA through the Contracts Management Office (CMO) or through an outside Contracting Agent acting on behalf of DARPA (i.e. Army, Navy, Air Force issued contract award). All affirmations must state which office(s) the proposer supports, and identify the prime contract numbers.
Evaluation of Proposals
Evaluation of the proposals will be in accordance with BAA 07-21. For general administrative questions, please refer to the original FEDBIZOPPS solicitation, BAA07-21, of February 14, 2007: http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/solicit.htm.
All proprietary information should be marked on the full proposal. It is the policy of DARPA to treat all proposals as competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. Standard proprietary disclaimers notwithstanding, proposals may be reviewed by non-Government technical experts who have signed a nondisclosure agreement with DARPA, unless the specific phrase ?TO BE REVIEWED BY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ONLY? appears on the cover sheet. In any case, personnel under exclusive contract with DARPA who have completed the appropriate nondisclosure agreements will handle the proposals for administrative purposes.
Web Address for Proposal Submission: http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa/.
Address for Proposal Submission:
DARPA/DSO
ATTN: BAA 07-21, Addendum 7, Dr. Mitchell R. Zakin
3701 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1714
General Information
In all correspondence, reference BAA 07-21, Addendum 7
Technical Point of Contact
Dr. Mitchell R. Zakin, DARPA/DSO; Phone: (703) 248-1509; Email: Mitchell.Zakin@darpa.mil
Point of Contact
Barbara McQuiston, Deputy Director, DSO, Phone 703-526-4759, Fax 703-248-1916, Email Barbara.McQuiston@darpa.mil
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