Usually when one thinks of military innovation, the first thing that comes to mind is a large bureaucratic, horrifically expensive, and endless project that is usually highly secretive and has bidding wars among huge defense contractors. Seeing news stories over the years with things like $500 hammers and $600 toilet seats, it would be hard to argue that this isn't usually the case. Wouldn't it be great to have this innovation come from more of a grass roots kind of movement? What if you could make that innovation go through a process similar to that of a X-Prize? Meet Sofwerx. This is an organization that acts as a private-public partnership to foster quick and inexpensive innovation for pressing military needs. Follow the link to the right for more information about Sofwerx. The link below is a great article published in the Tampa Bay Times, detailing the latest contest; a practical solution to combating enemy drones. This isn't your fathers military-industrial complex.
