Shield AI and Australia-based Sentient Vision Systems have signed an agreement to offer a wide area motion imagery (WAMI) solution for the US, Australia, and other international defense customers.
WAMI is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) approach that leverages payloads such as cameras, sensors, and other data-gathering technologies.
It is commonly employed on aircraft to track mobile assets, personnel, and adversaries.
Under the partnership, the companies will jointly develop and integrate Sentient’s ViDAR optical radar wide-area search capability with Shield AI’s V-BAT tactical drone.
ViDAR is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered system with an electro-optic or infrared sensor to classify objects from an imagery stream invisible to human operators or conventional radar.
Meanwhile, the V-BAT is a 9-foot (2.7-meter) unmanned aerial system capable of up to 10 flight hours and 45 minutes of hover time.
Its expeditionary features permit users to transport the system by land-based vehicle and assemble it in under 20 minutes before a mission.
Providing ‘Superior’ ISR Tech
According to Shield AI, the integration of ViDAR and V-BAT will “intelligently” follow, classify, and react to targets during dynamic operations, enhancing threat deterrence and sustaining international security.
“We look forward to combining the AI expertise and operational understanding of our two great teams to deliver superior ISR capabilities for today’s rapidly changing defense and security environment,” Sentient Chief Technology Officer Mark Palmer stated.
Shield AI President Brandon Tseng called the work with its Australian partner “a unique opportunity to fuse the innovation prowess of two companies from allied countries on opposite sides of the world.”
“Together, we are shaping the future of defense technology,” he said.