Hans.Moravec@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU (03/11/86)
a229 1226 09 Mar 86
AM-Project Forecast, Bjt,0705
TODAY'S FOCUS: Air Force Looking at a High Tech Future
By NORMAN BLACK
AP Military Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Imagine a robot, complete with hands and deployed
in space, that responds automatically to commands from the ground,
allowing its controller to ''feel'' and ''see'' exactly what it does.
Consider a new type of anti-proton propellant so powerful that a
spacecraft could cut weeks off planetary flight, or a super cockpit
that would literally turn a pilot's visor into a road map, including
displays of enemy forces and essential flight data.
Scoff you might, but those and other projects now are officially
being imagined by the Air Force following a long-range study dubbed
Project Forecast II.
Begun last summer, Project Forecast brought together experts from
the Air Force and industry for what turned out to be eight months of
brainstorming. Their charge was to ''break away from conventional
thinking and look at what is technologically possible.''
''I think about every 20 years the Air Force needs to do that sort
of exercise,'' says Gen. Lawrence A. Skantze, who oversaw the study
as head of the Air Force Systems Command.
The first Project Forecast was conducted in 1963. It identified
several new technologies that were considered revolutionary at the
time, but which did become reality. Among them were reusable space
vehicles, extra-large cargo planes, composite materials and
high-bypass jet engines.
Last month in his State of the Union address, President Reagan drew
attention to one of the predictions from the latest project - a
hypersonic jetliner, dubbed the ''Orient Express,'' that could fly in
low Earth orbit from Washington to Tokyo in two hours.
The Air Force calls that the National Aerospace Plane. From the
military's standpoint, Skantze says such a plane would offer ''the
speed of response of an intercontinental ballistic missile and the
flexibility and recallability of a bomber.''
The hypersonic jet, however, is just one of about 70 ''primary
research thrusts'' identified by the forecast group, Skantze says.
Between 12 and 20 of those initiatives have been singled out for
concentrated study and research, he added.
Starting in fiscal 1988, the four-star general explained recently,
the Air Force hopes to begin setting aside about 10 percent of its $2
billion science and technology budget each year for forecast
projects.
Skantze outlined some of the predictions during a briefing last
month. Among the technologies now considered possible are:
-Remotely controlled robots that can work in space or other
dangerous environments. The robot's hands could be moved through
instructions from the ground, Skantze says, ''and the operator of the
hand can actually get the finger-feel of what the robot is doing.
There are indications that this is something that we can feasibly
do.''
-A super cockpit using computerized artificial intelligence systems
that would make it possible for pilots to control jet fighters much
faster and maneuverable than those of today. The system could include
a three-dimensional visual display that would be projected on the
pilot's helmet visor, simultaneously showing the outside terrain,
enemy threats like missiles and essential airplane operating data.
-Anti-proton acceleration. In theory, enormous amounts of energy can
be produced by bringing together a positively charged proton from a
hydrogen atom and a negatively charged anti-proton. Such anti-protons
have been produced in European particle accelerators, but scientists
don't know how to collect and store them or control the reaction.
-The ''swarm.'' Instead of relying on small numbers of highly
capable and expensive satellites for navigation, communications and
surveillance, this concept calls for putting up large numbers of
inexpensive satellites, pyramidal in shape and 12 feet on a side.
Individually, each satellite couldn't do much. But an electronically
connected ''swarm'' would be highly capable in the aggregate and less
vulnerable to enemy attack.
-Using exotic materials to produce smaller, high-temperature jet
engines. Skantze says it appears possible to build a vertical
take-off jet that could come close to matching the high performance
of conventional jets. Engines are now foreseen that would offer a
thrust-to-weight ratio of 20-to-1 instead of 8-to-1 ''by the end of
the 1990's,'' eliminating the high fuel consumption that now limits
performance, he said.
AP-NY-03-09-86 1527EST
***************franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) (03/13/86)
In article <8603102318.AA01758@s1-b.arpa> Hans.Moravec@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU writes: [quoting an article] >In theory, enormous amounts of energy can >be produced by bringing together a positively charged proton from a >hydrogen atom and a negatively charged anti-proton. I think it takes more than one of each to produce enormous amounts of energy. Frank Adams ihnp4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka Multimate International 52 Oakland Ave North E. Hartford, CT 06108