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The growing number of low-flying drones, together with the emergence of more advanced platforms—including fiber-optic-guided UAVs—is creating an increasing challenge for detection and surveillance systems. Small, fast-moving targets, some of which no longer rely on conventional radio communications, require sensor technologies capable of providing an accurate situational assessment even in complex operating environments.
Against this backdrop, Innoviz announced that over the past three months, six Israeli companies operating in the defense and homeland security (HLS) sectors have integrated its LiDAR technology into systems designed to detect, identify, classify, and track drones and other aerial threats. The activity is being carried out under the company’s defense brand, Perciz, through which technology originally developed for autonomous vehicles is being adapted for defense applications.
LiDAR sensors operate by emitting laser pulses and measuring the time it takes for the reflected light to return after striking an object. This process generates a highly detailed three-dimensional map of the surrounding environment, enabling the system to calculate the location, size, and movement of objects in real time. Originally developed to detect vehicles, pedestrians, and road hazards, the technology is also well suited for identifying small, low-flying drones, particularly when combined with radars, thermal cameras, and other sensors as part of a multi-sensor fusion architecture.
Among the partnerships announced by the company are Givon Defense, which will integrate the sensors into systems designed to improve the precise localization of aerial targets; Cogniteam, which will use LiDAR data to classify targets with artificial intelligence; and AeroNous Solutions, part of Israel Shipyards Group, which will incorporate the technology into a command-and-control platform for continuous monitoring of aerial threats.
These agreements follow earlier collaborations with Kela Technologies, which is integrating the sensors into border and perimeter security systems; Drive Group, for its Barak LightGuard perimeter and critical infrastructure protection system; and Regulus, which develops solutions for detecting and tracking low-altitude drones, including fiber-optic-guided platforms.
The expansion of LiDAR technology into the defense sector reflects a broader trend of adapting technologies originally developed for autonomous vehicles to operational security applications. As drone threats continue to evolve in complexity, systems that combine multiple sensing technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in creating an accurate operational picture and improving the detection, tracking, and interception capabilities of modern air defense systems.
