The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is to develop an ingenious solution to battlefield illnesses that have plagued armies for ages. The agency is working on robotic nanoparticles that can be implanted inside the body for diagnosis and treatment of ailments. If successful, the technology would certainly be a major leap forward in combating battlefield diseases that continue to afflict even modern armies.
DARPA has envisioned a future in which tiny sensors thousands of times smaller than the width of human hair will serve as an internal “guard” against illness during battle. The system would especially be handy for soldiers undertaking operations in remote areas. DARPA recently created the fastest-ever land robot, named "Cheetah", which can gallop at a speed of 29 kilometers per hour. The role of illness in war is one of great impact, despite advancements in modern medicine. Most evacuations from the battle field come from non-combat injuries.
According to DARPA, the invention, if successful, might prove worthwhile for U.S. Special Forces, who typically undertake missions in remote places. The nature of such operations exposures such forces to infectious disease but removes them from any immediate access to modern medicine. The technology will diagnose illness and alert Special Forces operators. The tiny sensors could also warn soldiers if they are pushing their bodies beyond limits. DARPA is also working on an “Avatar robot ” which will be a "semi-autonomous bi-pedal machine" capable of performing as a stand-in soldier.
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