Pearson Engineering Launches Drone-based Threat Detection Solution Following Successful NATO Trial

Pearson Engineering has developed its existing ground laid ordnance detection technology, Threat-Sense, to support the identification of threats to mobility with the use of drones. Using artificial intelligence and robust synthetic threat libraries, Threat-Sense can detect anti-tank and anti-personnel mines and indicate to operators in varying environmental conditions where threats are present. Threat-Sense, which has seen demonstrable success in end-user trials, was initially designed to provide increased situational awareness to vehicle commanders and has been proven when integrated with platforms ranging from Foxhound and HX60 to the Patria AMV and TRX 2 robotic combat vehicle.

Building on user feedback through detailed collaboration with international science and technology organisations, Threat-Sense was evolved by Pearson Engineering’s Unmanned Solutions team for integration with a drone to assist enhanced reconnaissance and stand-off from the vehicle. The integration, now proven with NATO allies at the Suffield Research Centre in Canada, compliments Pearson Engineering’s highly flexible approach to supporting freedom of manoeuvre and mobility at pace and adds to a suite of ordnance defeating technologies already in Pearson Engineering’s product range.

Using a commercially available off-the-shelf drone, operators can control Threat-Sense up to 5km away, substantially reducing the risk to life and providing an additional method of surface laid threat identification. Threat-Sense is compatible with any drone which is capable of providing a sufficient video feed and the processing unit can be mounted on the drone with on-edge processing, or it can draw from the drone’s video feed for ground-based processing according to requirements. Threat-Sense logs all of the detected threats with unique identifiers, GPS markers and timestamps and it has the ability to network information over Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) or Data Distribution Service (DDS) in real-time.

Pearson Engineering’s Senior Engineer for Unmanned Solutions explains “Through research, observation and collaboration with the commanders of armoured vehicles, we began to understand the huge volume of information that they receive and must be aware of. Threat detection is one such task with fatal consequences if sufficient intelligence is not available. Threat-Sense is designed to support Commanders, providing them with real time, artificial intelligence enhanced threat information through a simple and intuitive user interface.”

Pearson Engineering’s range of ordnance defeating products includes the internationally deployed Route Opening Mine Plough, Self-Protection Mine Plough, Route Proving Roller, Self-Protection Roller and Surface Clearance Device. Threat-Pathway, a newer development designed to provide rapidly deployable scatterable mine clearance capability to combat vehicles and combat support vehicles has also taken part in a number of end-user demonstrations and trials.