Pictureinto thin this: A tiny, floating device delivers a package into your arms, and then, before you can say "thanks," it disappears air. Such a magical device may sound like something out of a Harry Potter movie, but it's real technology that could benefit people remote in areas.
New materials from DARPA can self-destruct after they've been
used on the battlefield or as part of disaster relief efforts.
The development of this far-out delivery system is being led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the branch of the U.S. Department of Defense charged with developing new technologies for the U.S. military. Several years ago, DARPA launched its Vanishing Programmable Resources (VAPR) program, which is devoted to building small electronic systems that do their jobs and then self-destruct.
Although it might sound counterintuitive to build something that's going to disappear, self-destructing systems are useful for a range of situations, according to DARPA. For example, sophisticated technologies (such as environmental sensors or communications tools) are often used on battlefields and then are left behind, where they can be scooped up by people who aren't authorized to use them, making them risky. Discarded electronics also pose a threat to the environment as they rust and decompose. But electronics that just disappear aren't saddled with these problems, DARPA officials said. [Humanoid Robots to Flying Cars: 10 Coolest DARPA Projects]
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