As well as its work in the civil industry, Sentient has been working in collaboration with Insitu Pacific to enhance the results from the ScanEagle Unmanned Air System (UAS), which has delivered tactical aerial reconnaissance support to Australian land forces in Iraq and Afghanistan by deploying Kestrel's real-time vision system for electro-optic and infrared sensors.

"Kestrel brings the capability to analyze live ScanEagle imagery from the battlefield into both, the Tactical Operations Center and Remote Video Terminal," says Paul Boxer, managing director of Sentient. "It assists Australian war-fighters in automatically detecting and tracking potential threats, in real-time. At the same time, it provides mission commanders with the most accurate and timely information possible."

Kestrel is a real-time computer vision system that automatically detects and tracks moving targets below a UAS. It analyzes the ScanEagle's imagery and alerts the air vehicle operator to easily missed, small moving targets, such as dismounts and vehicles. Kestrel is ideal for surveillance in mountainous and urban terrain, detecting objects that are easily missed by the human eye.

"Kestrel's ability to detect very small targets, even in difficult environments, allows the ScanEagle to conduct wider area surveillance," said Andrew Duggan, managing director of Insitu Pacific. "Kestrel adds to the ScanEagle's ISR capability, extending its ability to provide situational awareness."

Source: Flight Daily News

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