This is already a solved problem, but the existing processes are hugely expensive, darpa is looking to see if anyone has a good idea on making it cheap enough to be routine.
My first thought was that not only they were inspired by that one but they're trying to parody it.
I knew I'd heard of a similar challenge. If I was a cynic, I'd say instagram would take the winning solution and enter it in the DARPA challenge. Crowd-sourced competition entries!
The DARPA challenge is much more complicated, the Instagram challenge (which is accompanied by a solution!) is child's play.
Though the apparent ease of the latter could potentially inspire some brilliant approach that ends up being the basis for a solution to the former.
Now that, my friend, seems to be an actual challenge.