Shield AI and its Australian partner Sentient Vision Systems on Monday said the two companies have signed a multi-year agreement for the supply of Sentient’s artificial intelligence-enabled wide area motion imagery sensor aboard Shield AI’s V-BAT autonomous drones to automatically detect targets not visible to operators or typical radar.
Sentient will begin delivering to Shield AI in 2024 its visual detection and ranging (ViDAR) system, which uses an electro-optic or infrared sensor. The ViDAR autonomously finds potential targets in the maritime environment over wide areas, day and night, up to sea state 6, which is when wave heights reach between 13 and 20 feet.
V-BAT is a vertical take-off-and-landing unmanned aircraft system that can fly horizontally like a fixed-wing aircraft. The drones are equipped with Shield AI’s AI-based software pilot called Hivemind that allows for multiple V-BAT’s to fly autonomously in swarms.
The companies said the integrated solution meets the needs outlined in the second pillar of the Australia, United Kingdom, U.S. (AUKUS) alliance related to AI, autonomy, and unmanned systems.
“The confirmation of our long-term relationship absolutely reflects the AI technology workstream that is underlined in the AUKUS Pillar 2, Mark Palmer, Sentient’s CEO, said in a statement. “Innovation stemmed from our computer vision AI-enabled ViDAR and Shield AI’s Hivemind will provide commanders with immediate situational awareness and survivability of our warfighters.”
The two companies previously partnered on the joint development and integration of ViDAR into V-BAT.
ViDAR is used by Australia’s navy and maritime safety authority, the U.S. Coast Guard, Mexico’s navy, Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans department, and others.