DOD to gather ideas on autonomous sensors, weapons at spring meeting

A Defense Department research and development gathering in California this spring will focus on sensors, weapons and autonomy, according to a recent Air Force notice.

The technical meetings, scheduled for April 1 to 5, will discuss data processing, operations in controlled and degraded areas, open architecture, cyber resiliency, networked precision and accuracy for weapons and trust in autonomous systems and artificially intelligent weapons.

"Natural and man-made obscurants continue to trouble even modern sensors," the Oct. 15 notice states, noting a "need for active/passive multipurpose sensing" and displays with augmented reality to create more complete pictures of the battlefield. Processing is a new focus area for sensors research, it added.

Building sensors that automatically crunch intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data and weapons that can act on their own if their mission is disrupted are among the top priorities of the new National Defense Strategy, which stresses a need for faster, networked warfare.