Pentagon, through the Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is challenging all hobbyist to put their skills and interest to good use.

The agency's new Improv program will be funding technical specialists, developers, skilled hobbyists and researchers to bring forth their ideas and prototypes of commercial items that can be turned into deadly weapons.

Improv and its Roots in U.S. Military

The military arm of the United States is considered to be one of the most powerful in the entire world, but they're not without their vulnerabilities. One important issue that has been brewing for some time is the ability of adversaries to create weapons out of off-the-shelf devices from the citizens' own homes.

"Improv is being launched in recognition that strategic surprise can also come from more familiar technologies, adapted and applied in novel ways," program manager John Main explained in the official statement.

Enlisting the Help of the Citizens

To better prepare for this threat, DARPA decided to reach out to a wider audience for their own take on weaponizing common tools. Ensuring acquiring as many perspectives as possible, DARPA is calling on a wide range of engineers, biologists, information technologists and any other hobbyists to demonstrate just how -- and how easy -- hardware, software and other common items can be converted into tools of destruction.

"DARPA often looks at the world from the point of view of our potential adversaries to predict what they might do with available technology," Main said. "Historically we did this by pulling together a small group of technical experts, but the easy availability in today's world of an enormous range of powerful technologies means that any group of experts only covers a small slice of the available possibilities. In Improv we are reaching out to the full range of technical experts to involve them in a critical national security issue."

Improv and its Mechanics

With their goal in mind to be better informed and prepared for various threats, DARPA is asking for proposals for the prototypes of such weaponized products. To make it even more enticing, they will be paying about $130,000 to successful applicants.

Improv consists of three different phases, the first of which is for applicants to submit their proposals and upon DARPA's approval will be awarded $40,000 for a feasibility study. Those who qualify for the next stage will get another $70,000 to construct their prototype and then a third payment of $20,000 for the evaluation phase.