How DARPA Plans to Reinvent U.S. Manufacturing

Taking tax money from the public pocket and then paying that money back to citizens to design & build military play toys (in whatever fashion) does not "revive the US manufacturing base". Like any perpetual motion machine the losses inherent in the system ensure failure.

While it might lead to some innovations, those will be immedately copied overseas. Or worse, deliberately exported overseas - often by the very people who maintain their grip on authority by touting "make America strong again" to the brainless masses who lap up such empty platatudes.

Don't get me wrong. From an engineering standpoint DARPA is certainly driving some interesting projects. But it seems unlikely any of it will lead to fattening the wallet of the man on the street.

GA - 100% correct!

Few weeks ago I read a NYTs piece that suggested the US would be much better off economically if the US Patent Office was sufficiently funded and the backlog of delayed patent applications expedited. The thesis was that the patent in hand was a number one pivot for investment. Certainly DARPA is all right and the concept is as I understand it sound, and with precedent.

Still I have the feeling that advancing the power of the Military Industrial Complex has some downsides.

I can see how a civilian invention production system as proposed for DARPA could be as well applied to operations of the US Patent Office, as maybe the internet moved from military operational communications needs to civilian utility.

Apparently the Patent Office could be self-sustaining and work better if money from the patent fees was allowed to be kept for its institutional use, instead of diverted for other Federal programs.

Basically in this case I like the idea, but just want whatever money is taken from the US Patent office for DARPA given back to the US Patent Office so DARPA can claim credit for inventing a currently needed method of streamlining and speeding production across all sectors of the economy.

There are two stories than influence my judgement of this issue. One is the Nevil Shute story of private and publicly funded airship programs, and the other is the current state of exoskeleton R&D and actuality.

The exoskeleton shall be transformational in robotics. The Japanese HAL exoskeleton is to market already according to my internet reports. The DARPA Bleex is not useful or secret now, or for some other reason no where near where it ought to be.

I applied to DARPA specifically stating that I wanted to work there to advance exoskeletons. They wouldn't hire me.

Course it is true that most all I know I learned in the streets, and took the Frank Zappa approach to education. (Went to the Library. actually in College my college job was stacking books in the library.) I consider myself a somewhat successful product of a Community College Education since my thesis as an artist was I knew what I wanted to do, and just wanted to know what and how tools for my work applied.

So then what I propose is that the DARPA concept be applied to the US Patent office so that those inventions and ideas are produceable and produce jobs in the private sector, which must operate if we are to have the ability to pay taxes to fund DARPA.

This is another example of a Thread about engineering and science that from the get go calls for political science topic reply content if the technology proposed or invented is to see proper use.

"This is another example of a Thread about engineering and science that from the get go calls for political science topic reply content if the technology proposed or invented is to see proper use."

And I see yet another decent idea to be swept away by the storm of partisan politics before it gets any kind of decent hearing.

When are we going to stop this?

Ed Weldon

"And I see yet another decent idea to be swept away by the storm of partisan politics before it gets any kind of decent hearing.

When are we going to stop this?"

No chance, never this will stop.

Political decisions should be dominated by thinking in decades but politicians are only successful if they think in months to years timescale.

Give them a longer election period and no possibility to be reelected. This may help.

RHABE

What's your point, what do you really mean here and now Ed?

I said the idea was sound and had precedent. I said I was aware of what DARPA was about, and how the concept might help out as far as the Patent Office was concerned.

Are you implying that the idea is flawed, or that the political climate will crush it? Not my fault if everybody wants to be stupid.

My point was that the idea is sound and with precedent, but I added that there was already an idea and invention institution in the form of the US Patent Office where all great ideas and inventions ought to go first for overall health of the society, since wealth comes from profitable work to pay taxes to fund messing around in hopes of errant benefit.

If you won't make it we will, is part of the idea.[p[] The blog thread inspired me to consider the factory floor capable of making anything before it is possible to steal it through reverse engineering.

The patent system in the United States no longer (if it ever did) protects the interests of the independent inventor- the cost is too high, the cost of defending your rights can eat up any profits you may hope to gain, the government can take your rights away at will. The original concept of the patent office was to encourage innovation- about the only innovation being supported these days by the patent system is in the legal profession.

You want to get rich off a patent? Get yourself a law degree...

I am aware of the issues involved. I am aware of the failures. I am even aware of whom to blame for the state of things.

I am also aware of the changes proposed to rectify the situation.

"...the storm of partisan politics..."

In general, I agree with this thought. I do have ideas on how to improve the situation. I do not currently have the means to implement them.

Basically, I see this scenario. Two ideas exist, competing with each other for a win, in the minds of the people. They must be compared dispassionately and fairly. Comparison is the ultimate form of intelligence. (bear with me. )

/For Each Idea
/ LIST all attributes alphabetically (List)
/ For Each Attribute
/ ASSIGN common units of measure to each Attribute
/ ASSIGN value to each Attribute
/ Next Attribute
/Next Idea

/Function "COMPARISON" (IDEA 1, IDEA 2)
/ Sort Attributes Alphabetically
/ LIST Common_Attributes (List)

/ For Each Common_Attributes (List)
/ COMPARE Common_Attributes (Attribute_Value_1, Attribute_Value_2, Result)
/ Next Attribute

/ For EachUnCommon_Attributes (List)
/ Create Accurate_Description (Attribute)
/ Assign Units (Attribute)
/ Submit to Anonymous_Public_Vote (UnCommon_Attributes, Result)
/ Next Attribute

/ For Each UnCommon_Attributes (List)
/ COMPARE UnCommon_Attributes (Attribute_Value_1, Attribute_Value_2, Result)
/ Next Attribute

/ Publish Complete_Results (Common_Attributes, UnCommon_Attributes, DocName)

In brief... break them down to fundamentals, measure them, compare them, publish them.

Chris