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Innovation

Darpa proposes tax-software-inspired mission planning

Darpa is usually known for off-the-wall, risky projects. Its newest is useful, but not particularly Darpa-like.
Written by Dan Nosowitz, Contributing Editor

Darpa is usually known for off-the-wall, risky projects. Its newest is useful, but not particularly Darpa-like. The organization is now working on mission planning software it says is inspired by "tax preparation software." Its name? OBTW, which stands for "Oh, By The Way."

The inspiration comes from the guided problem-solving tactics of some tax software. As taxes are often a labyrinthine tangle of frustration, tax prep software guesses what you're looking for and presents it to you. "You're an independent contractor. Oh, by the way, do you have any work expenses to write off?"

Darpa is extending this system to mission planning software, which is similarly complex.

For example, “Under the specified conditions, the safest, most effective evacuation is by helicopter. And oh, by the way, if you’re going to use helicopters, Unit X has three that appear to be available. And oh, by the way, you ought to consider flying at night, because…."

A former Darpa program manager says the project is "important and useful, yes, but lacks the revolutionary nature of Darpa's charter," although commenters note that those kinds of algorithms are exceptionally tricky, requiring intuitive problem-solving and instant smart indexing of scores of information.

The project as proposed will cost $18 million and take 39 months to complete.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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