Sentient, Insitu to demonstrate ViDAR
Sentient and Insitu will demonstrate the ViDAR wide area autonomous detection system on the ScanEagle UAS at the British Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior demonstration, Sentient announced on 10 October.
ViDAR can be modularly added into the ScanEagle, in a 'slice' that consists of a large digital video camera at the rear that continuously scans the ocean across 180 degrees in front of the UAV. The inbuilt software autonomously detects objects on the ocean surface and provides an image and coordinates of a detected object in real-time to the ground control station. The primary sensors can be cross-cued by the operator to the object by clicking on the image.
ViDAR has already been demonstrated on a Royal Australian Navy ScanEagle in 2015. During this demonstration, the system detected objects including a fast boat over nine nautical miles away from the aircraft and a fishing vessel at 14 nautical miles.
Simon Olsen, Sentient’s director of business development, strategy and partnerships, said: ‘The Royal Navy has talked publicly about its desire for a tactical UAS that can not only surveil, but can automatically find objects of interest in maritime environments.
‘Operating like an optical radar, ViDAR on the ScanEagle provides a ‘find’ function for the first time on a group two platform. Sentient is looking forward to supporting Insitu demonstrate this game changing capability during Unmanned Warrior.’
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