DARPA Announces Experimental Crowd-derived Combat-support Vehicle (XC2V) Design Challenge

By John Ohab

Win up to $10,000, Support the Warfighter

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 manafucturing military vehicles that streamlines the design/build process, introduces the latest in innovation, and keeps pace with the needs of the warfighter?

From concept to construction current military vehicle manufacturing processes take several years. By leveraging the power of the crowd, we can contribute to reducing that timeline significantly. Additionally, this opens the aperature 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.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks to engage the crowd for its latest challenge. The 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 servicemembers, race and auto enthusiasts, and those with an interest and talent in engineering, materials, industrial design, etc., to support the warfigther 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 begins today, and final submissions are due March 3, 2011.

Visit the XC2V challenge webpage at http://www.local-motors.com/XC2V for complete challenge details, to register, and join the Xcitement.

Spread the word and stay informed by following the XC2V challenge on Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget to “support” the challenge on Challenge.gov!

This article was sponsored by Police Technology.