This post is also available in:
עברית (Hebrew)
Until not so long ago, we have grown accustomed to having Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and autonomous systems in general, feature the images and video they gather only at their respective command and control stations. Disseminating them required a complex procedure, inter alia because of their clandestine activity, because the intelligence product is classified and compartmentalized, because the material requires rendering to user-tailored formats, and because relaying the material gathered requires uploading them as files at servers for remote viewing or downloading.
Autonomous systems’ operational scope, in particular that of UAVs is growing rapidly, as does their popularity. Tools which in the past only highly advanced technological forces could afford and operate, are currently available on Ebay at prices which start at mere hundreds of dollars, and reach thousands. This illustrates the need for a technology which would simplify the relay process of videos taken from above and enable them to be accessed by any (authorized) users.
Unmanned systems conference 2014 – Israel
Weather forecasts, aerial tours over an archeological site, transmitting a live rock concert or hovering over vast fields of crops for monitoring and control purposes – these are merely a fraction of the many applications UAV technology enables nowadays. The image they collect can be easily relayed live to any smartphone, pending various commercial and other legal regulations consumers will have to adhere to.
The demand is huge. The solution is simple and SDI provides it. Established nearly a year ago in cooperation with Centre de Recherche sur les Entreprises (CEREN) from France, it is dedicated to developing tailored applications for UAVs. SDI has already completed the planning and development phase of products which are currently being operationally tested by French security organizations.
Each application is Internet-based, so it enables high volumes of users to receive live transmission in a credible, non-mediated way without any commentary. Thus, during emergency situations such as adverse weather, local residents will be able to receive a great deal of real-time, credible and valuable info, thereby saving calls to emergency service lines.
The applications, which have already become finished products, are already installed in French National Police officers’ phones in the south of the country, as well as in phones of Protection Civile staff members, which provide law enforcement and firefighting.
SDI’s roadmap comprises of future developments, such as video processing and analysis, so that the final broadcast could be tailored for additional police tasks such as crow control during mass events, e.g. sporting events. Another application is agricultural or municipal missions as well as handling Big Data.
SDI, a privately held company, has its business development and sales units operating from Israel.
