ARLINGTON, Va. – Today’s warfighters are called upon to operate at peak efficiency in virtually every terrain and under myriad harsh environmental conditions. Would their ability to face rapidly changing mission demands improve by introducing a dynamic method of manufacturing military vehicles that streamlines the design/build process, introduces the latest in innovation, and keeps pace with the needs of the war fighter?
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is using ‘crowd sourcing’ to help improve this process.
From concept to construction current military vehicle manufacturing processes take several years. By leveraging the power of the crowd, DARPA says it can contribute to reducing that timeline significantly. Additionally, this opens the aperture to introduce greater ideas and design compilation with a reduction in time and the potential for a better performing vehicle. This more efficient process could save lives and improve mission success.
DARPA’s Experimental Crowd-derived Combat-support Vehicle (XC2V) Design Challenge, facilitated by Local Motors Inc. asks individuals to conceptualize a vehicle body design for two different missions — Combat Reconnaissance and Combat Delivery & Evacuation.
This is an opportunity for service members, race and auto enthusiasts and those with an interest and talent in engineering, materials, industrial design, etc., to support the war fighter by contributing to the future of military vehicle manufacturing, win up to $10,000, and see their design become a reality in the form of a fully functioning concept vehicle.
This competition provides experts, novices and the curious the opportunity to provide input to the final design of the vehicle. Whether you provide a design or just vote on the best submission, you can contribute.
The challenge began Feb. 3 and final submissions are due March 3.
Visit the XC2V challenge webpage at
http://www.local-motors.com/XC2V for complete challenge details and to register.
Follow the XC2V challenge on
Facebook and
Twitter.
