The Air Force is reaching out to the American public through a new online initiative for “creative and inventive” input on three unclassified projects, according to a service release. The goal of this project, known as the Air Force Collaboratory, is “to inspire [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]-inclined students and educators to engage, collaborate, and solve real-world challenges faced by our airmen today,” said Col. Marcus Johnson, chief of the service’s strategic marketing division. The three projects are: “Search and Rescue 2.0,” which runs from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, aiming to use rapid prototyping to develop new technologies for search and rescue operations in collapsed structures; “Mind of a Quadrotor,” from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, seeks to devise ways for quadrotor aircraft to navigate with little human interaction; and “Launch a GPS IIF,” from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, intends to determine the best location to launch this satellite type. “There are no bad ideas, so we ask those involved to voice them. Your ideas can help save lives,” said Johnson in the July 31 release.
The Air Force wants to promote working out, healthy eating habits, and a holistic approach to well-being for both Airmen and Guardians as part of a new “Culture of Fitness” initiative announced Sept. 18.
