In its quest for battlefield superiority, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) develops some of the world’s most significant breakthrough technologies for national security. These include bullets that can change direction mid-flight, high-energy lasers and flying trucks.
So you can bet we were interested when DARPA recently released this video demonstrating some of its latest advancements in Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T). Among its many radical ideas: A reconfigurable wheel that can move from a conventional round wheel into a triangular track in a mere two seconds, effectively providing both the efficiency advantages of a wheel and the mobility benefits of a track. You’ve got to watch to believe it!
GXV-Ts aim to make more powerful, mobile and safe combat vehicles without adding additional bulk, which can weigh vehicles down and destroy roads and bridges in their wake. There’s plenty of other fascinating technologies in the video including windowless, VR-based driving and Multi-Mode Extreme Travel Suspension (METS).
All this GXV-T needs now is a sweet flame paint job of the American flag.