Vanishing Programmable Resources (VAPR)
Abstract
The Vanishing Programmable Resources (VAPR) program created microelectronic and mechanical systems capable of physically vanishing in a controlled, triggerable manner. This advance helped avoid problems associated with unrecovered devices, including their potential use by unauthorized individuals and the compromise of intellectual property. The resulting technologies enabled a range of applications including vanishing sensors for monitoring large areas of the environment and transient airborne vehicles for emergency resupply without requiring pack out of the air delivery vehicle. To support this new class of electronics and mechanical structures, VAPR developed and established an initial set of transient materials and components along with the required manufacturing processes. The resulting systems performed comparably to commercial-off-the-shelf systems while demonstrating system transience that can be programmed, adjusted, triggered, or made to respond to the deployment environment. VAPR technologies were demonstrated through two final test platforms. A vanishing air delivery vehicle capable of precise, gentle drops of small payloads (~3 lbs.) demonstrated the feasibility of transient structural materials. A sensor with a wireless link demonstrated the manufacturability of transient electronics. Both demonstrations were intended to fully function on their own and to serve as a leading indicator of the potential systems and concepts-of-operation that VAPR could enable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- ea074369dea0efe72b2a38c9cbd897c9
Related Documents
- Root: ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY