Just sent off another email to DARPA after a phone call. We'll see what comes from it. In the meantime, I will see what info I can pull together and summarize on things, points of contact, perhaps even put together a form letter.
I finally came across a clearer image of powerswim. It incorporates newer materials to be sure and slightly altered configuration but the primary concept and premise of operation are quite old as can be easily seen.
From:
How to become a mad scientist for DARPA. - By Daniel Engber - Slate Magazine
and still more:
From:
Ares Homepage
Funding for the creation of Powerswim through taxpayer dollars:
Agreement Number: W911NF-05-9-0002
Modification Number: N/A
Task Number: N/A
Type of Agreement: Acquisition transaction for prototype (using Section 845)
Title: PowerSwim: A Novel Concept for Combat Swimmers
Awarding Office: XR W2DF RDECOM ACQ CTR DURHAM
Awardee: DEKA Research & Development Corp.
Effective Date: 01 Jul 2005
Estimated Completion or Expiration Date: 31 Mar 2006
U.S. Government Dollars: $ 2,809,407
Non-Government Dollars: $ 0
Dollars Returned to Government Account: $ 0
Technical objectives of this effort including the technology areas in which the project was conducted:
Combat swimmers are currently limited to speeds of 1 knot in order to maintain a sustainable caloric burn rate over
a period of hours. This speed limit constrains mission planning and prevents missions in some strong tidal areas.
Additionally, the maximum mission length is limited to 4 hours due to fatigue and hypothermia, limiting maximum
mission distances to 4.5 miles. Placing more propulsive power in the hands of combat swimmers will raise speeds,
increase range and carrying capacity, increase mission options and tempo, and deliver a more alert and effective
operator on target. This proposal outlines a program to develop a device that will use advanced oscillating foil
technology to enable combat swimmers to literally ‘fly’ through water like efficient swimmers in nature. The
concept will be evaluated by measuring the metabolic costs of swimming with conventional fins and then with the
oscillating foil device over a range of swimming speeds. Program success will be measured in terms of the reduction
in the metabolic cost of swimming at a given speed, and by demonstrating a dramatic increase in the swimmer’s
maximum sustainable rate of speed.
The overall goals/objectives of the agreement are to increase the overall swimming efficiency such that a given
combat swimmer can demonstrate a sustainable speed of 50% higher than the typical sustainable speed achieved
using standard-issue swim fins, and to reduce by a factor of 2 the metabolic energy required to maintain a sustained
speed of 1 knot.
Extent to which the cooperative agreement or other transaction has contributed to a broadening of the
technology and industrial base available for meeting Department of Defense needs:
Non-Traditional Defense Contractor:
The business arrangement to be made with DEKA seeks to establish a long term, 'future focused' relationship with a
non-traditional defense contractor at 'the cutting edge' of technology without requiring the Contractor to change his
existing business practices.
Innovative Business Practices for DoD:
DEKA is classified as a small business. Traditionally, small businesses have not been significantly involved in
developing and manufacturing weapons systems for DoD.
Cooperative Agreements and Other Transactions
Entered for Fiscal Year 2005
133
Rapid Prototyping Advantage for DoD:
DEKA's organizational structure and facilities design both foster constant interaction between and within DEKA's
engineering groups. DEKA's machine shop and molding facility are located on-site, enabling the development and
testing of prototypes in record time. This rapid prototyping capability is advantageous to the Government.
Extent to which the cooperative agreement or other transaction has fostered within the technology and
industrial base new relationships and practices that support the national security of the USA:
Traditionally, significant volumes of defense contracting in the area of weapons systems development have been
performed by large business. DEKA Research and Development Corp. is a non-traditional defense contractor
classified as small business. The company was founded in 1982 and thrives as an innovative think tank. This
prototype agreement is a novel concept inspired under the technical area ‘Applications of Biology to Defense Needs:
Bio-Inspired Systems.’ The business arrangement to be made with DEKA Research and Development Corp. seeks to
establish a long term, ‘future focused’ relationship with a non-traditional defense contractor at ‘the cutting edge’ of
technology without requiring the contractor to change his existing business practices. The contractor has not done
much business with the Government in the past, and is currently in the process of developing a business division
dedicated to government business. The flexibility provided by 10 U.S.C. Section 845 ‘other transactions’ for
prototypes encourages non-traditional defense contractors such as DEKA Research and Development Corp. to
contribute to major DoD research and development programs. These non-traditional business arrangements may
result in innovative solutions for the Future Force. Additionally, major U.S. corporations are continually seeking to
outsource their manufacturing bases to labor markets outside the U.S. This ongoing erosion of the U.S.
manufacturing base may pose a threat to national security. Small businesses and ‘non-traditional’ defense
contractors could become very critical players in compensating for lost capabilities in development and
manufacturing.
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/policy/attachments/fy-05-congressional-report20060130.pdf