Request for Information: Materials for Physical Compute in Untethered Robotics

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking information on materials for physical compute in untethered robotics. The agency is interested in disruptive concepts at the material, component, and kernel level that represent significant advances beyond current practice for fielding robust robotics. The focus of this RFI is on the development of materials embedded with sensing, processing, and actuation. Key areas of interest include actuation and sensing, dynamic and adaptive closed-loop compute, and material-centric approaches that embed computation directly within a material's structure. • The RFI seeks innovative insights on material-centric approaches that embed computation directly within a material's structure. • The agency is interested in advances in physical intelligence where sensing, actuation, and computation are co-designed and seamlessly integrated at the material and hardware level into macro systems capable of interacting with physically denied or harsh environments. • Responses should address one or more of the areas outlined in the RFI, including actuation and sensing, and dynamic and adaptive closed-loop compute. • The agency plans to hold a follow-up in-person workshop in June or July 2026 to review and discuss current and future research relevant to this RFI.