SFPD and DARPA compiling data in Dolores Park for new military training simulator

SF Weekly reports:

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is responsible for doling out millions for research that, according to an agency mission statement, will “prevent strategic surprise from negatively impacting U.S. national security.” Their latest project, titled Good Stranger, involves S.F.’s finest — and, quite possibly, you.

In April 2012, researchers started tagging along with SFPD officers on their beats, recording video and audio of police interacting with the locals. This data is compiled for studies at theStanford Research Institute and UC Santa Barbara that, according to Dr. Brian Lande, DARPA program manager, aim to examine the “interaction skills” people use to “make sense of and orient toward unfamiliar people, relationships, and social settings.”

DARPA plans to use the recordings in the development of a military training simulator that will use artificial intelligence to read and react to a trainee’s body language and facial expressions. DARPA is dumping $32.5 million into Good Stranger and related projects; the agency states that the training module will eventually be cheaper than arranging live role-players to train soldiers.

So I’m going to the park to meet some friends around 2:30, and my interaction with some cop regarding the Watermelon Wheat I plan to drink will someday factor in to how long some soldier reasons with some suspected terrorist before using lethal force to subdue him? Okay. Happy to help :)

Read on for official SFPD statements and more. [via Mission Local]

One Response to “SFPD and DARPA compiling data in Dolores Park for new military training simulator”

  1. Carlos B. says:

    Do you know where they’re going to set up the starship battle game so I can get the high score and be drafted into the Star League?