  Direction-sensitive WIMP dark matter searches may help overcome the
challenges faced by direct dark matter detection experiments. In particular,
directional detectors should be able to clearly differentiate a dark matter
signal from background sources. We are developing a Directional Dark Matter
Detector (D$^3$) based on a gas Time Projection Chamber (TPC) using Gas
Electron Multipliers (GEMs) for charge amplification and pixel electronics for
readout. This approach allows the three-dimensional reconstruction of nuclear
recoils in a room-temperature detector with low energy threshold and low noise.
We present an overview of our past and ongoing work developing this technology,
including the performance measurements of small prototypes, as well as our
planned future work constructing a m$^3$-scale detector to clearly determine
whether the signals seen by DAMA, CoGeNT, and CRESST-II are due to low-mass
WIMPs or background.
