MotionDSP, a Silicon Valley-based company that makes advanced image processing, computer vision and video analytic software solutions, has participated in the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Technical Experimentation(TE) at Camp Blanding, Florida to test an advanced software solution for small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS or drones).
The software being tested, Ikena® ISR, was the same software for which MotionDSP had been awarded two Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) contracts. The purpose of the USSOCOM experiment was to determine if the software, which is currently used in large video exploitation sites, could integrate with SUAS and deliver high-fidelity, real-time intelligence on lightweight laptops in the field.
“We want to get the best tools in the hands of operators in the field,” said Sean Varah, CEO and founder of MotionDSP. “Our goal is to improve their situational awareness with innovative computer vision and image processing from an off-the-shelf laptop with the latest graphics technology. This exercise showed that collaboration and integration can enable new capabilities as global threats continue to multiply. Special Operations Forces (SOF) need cutting edge surveillance capabilities to get answers faster and make the most informed, high-stakes decisions.”
The experiment was conducted over a two-day period ending October 23, 2014.The results showed that MotionDSP’s software accepted live video feed from SUAS platforms such as the RQ-11 Raven, performed fidelity improvement in real-time and created valuable intelligence products. Key information was then successfully pushed out to the Raptor-X common operating picture software (COP) using Cursor-on-Target standard protocol. The experiment also demonstrated that MotionDSP’s software could seamlessly interoperate with other systems provided by the Department of Defense and commercial vendors.
USSOCOM conducts the TE throughout the United States with government, academia and private companies. This unique event allows technology developers to interact with the SOF community in a collaborative environment to identify potential technology solutions, limitations, and utilities to solve the technical objectives and challenges of USSOCOM.