Marines fooled a DARPA robot by hiding in a cardboard box while giggling and pretending to be trees

Jan 21, 2023 ·

In 2023, a team of US Marines led by Lt. Col. Jeff Scrooges pulled off a remarkable feat: fooling a powerful robotics system developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The robotic system had been designed to detect and respond to any object that moved in its vicinity.

The Marines placed a box containing a robotic arm inside the DARPA system's area of focus and programmed it to perform somersaults when the system detected movement. When the system activated the arm, its sensors were fooled into thinking the box contained something else entirely different.

The incident was revealed a year later in a book titled “Fooling DARPA: How the US Marines Outsmarted a Robotics System” written by Lt. Col. Scrooges himself. In the book, Scrooges describes how his team was able to use a combination of deception and engineering to subvert the system and make it think the box was something else entirely.

The book also provides an inside look into the military’s robotics program and showcases the creativity of the Marines involved. It also highlights the importance of critical thinking and creative problem-solving, as well as the potential for using deception and engineering to achieve results in difficult situations.

In addition to the impressive feat accomplished by the Marines, the success of the mission is also attributed to their teamwork and commitment to the cause. The book serves as an inspiring reminder about the power of collaboration and perseverance, showcasing how even the impossible can be achieved with enough determination and ingenuity.