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Home 2023 June 7

Daily Archives: 06/07/2023

Way Forward for GeoInt Through Collaboration & Innovation

By
Sachin Awana
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Way Forward for GeoInt Through Collaboration & Innovation

Indo-Pacific GeoIntelligence 2023 concluded with a plenary on Space Infrastructure and GeoInt Strategy, emphasizing the need to develop future roadmap through the collaboration for a holistic view of space as a sector. The panel also focused on sustainability, advancement, and innovation in space.

Moderated by Anamika Das, Vice President, Geospatial World, the session kick-started with a small note on the relevance of space technology. The space infrastructure needs to be revisited with more and more actors and development coming every other day.

Climate Positive Practices

Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, NIAS and Board member In-Space, spoke about developing space infrastructure in accordance to the climate security.

“As of now there is no clear evidence that this kind of climate impacts are leading to any migration. There are more other reasons mostly economic for the migration as of now. The only issue is only when such things happen where already certain conflicts are in place. Then only the climate change can become a catalyst for migration.”

He added, “Climate change happens when you disturb natural habitats. For example, In Maldives, due to uncontrolled tourism, the islands have been submerged. Whereas, Lakshadweep islands, a relatively controlled tourism destination has seen very little to no effect from climate change.”

“The only way forward is through dialogue,” Shailesh Nayak was quoted saying after an audience member asked him about the various conflicts happening around the world.

Identifying Gaps in Space

Arpan Sahoo Co-founder and COO, KaleidEO talked about the effects of climate change and sustainability in the space sector.
“We are seeing so much of shift and thrust in our industry due to climate change and that should just be enough to validate the need of space-based climate sustainability,” he said.

He then opined to have a national space strategy while taking the customers, private sector, and the people of the country in mind.

“The space industry has come forward in being the pivotal enabler to bridge the gap in reducing redundancies in non-performing assets in economies worldwide. India being one of the frontrunner with the space capability and capacity in the sector, we should have a certain national white paper that defines the building of asset-driven space programs for the betterment of the country,” he added.

Expanding Space Capabilities

Brig. Gen. Datuk Abd Razak, Director, Defence Intelligence Application, Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) charted out three points to express a way forward for the amalgamation of space and GeoInt strategy.

The three points are:

  1. Leveraging space infra for more resilience, collaboration, and innovation
  2. Maximizing the benefits of integrating GeoInt with IR4.0
  3. Taking full advantage of the opportunities and addressing the associated challenges

Brig. Gen. Datuk then talked about leveraging space infrastructure through “enhancing Space Situational Awareness (SSA), embracing new technologies, investing in cybersecurity, developing a National Space Regulation, advocating for arms control in space, expanding commercial innovation, increasing collaboration and cooperation, and promoting resilience and redundancy in space.”

Need for Space Sustainability in the Digital Era

By
Jeffy Jacob
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Need for Space Sustainability in the Digital Era

The 2nd Day of Indo-Pacific Geointelligence 2023, had a plenary session on Space Sustainability & Security of Space Infrastructure where Dr. Brian Weeden, Director of Program Planning, Secure World Foundation talked about how cooperative solutions are necessary for Space Sustainability.

Space Sustainability & Security of Space Infrastructure has become very important in this growing digital age. Lack of sustainability would make emerging space countries face problems in using outer space effectively. Addressing the need for Space Sustainability ensures that outer space can be used by both space-faring and non-space faring nations.

Earth Observation, Telecommunications (including financial transactions, internet, and telephone), navigation and economic development will all be affected.

Orbital Debris: A Big Problem

Orbital Debris is a big problem as it can remain a threat for decades sometimes even centuries when produced in large quantities. Both accidents and intentional destructive events can produce large quantities of orbital debris making it a global problem necessitating the need to work together to ensure space sustainability.

There is more than 21,000 pieces of debris larger than about 10 cm are being tracked in orbit around the Earth, and there are as many as 500,000 additional untracked pieces larger than 1 cm.

Debris colliding with one of the more than 1,800 operational satellites could result in serious damage or complete destruction of the satellite.

Noelle Riza Castillo, Director of Bureau of Space Policy & International Cooperation, of Philippines Space Agency talks about the necessary need to create a framework to tackle threats like Space Debris falling in the region of the Philippines for security of space infrastructure.

Duncan Blake, Lecturer in Space Law and Strategy, Australian Defense Force Academy, UNSW talks about Space Security and Sustainability are linked with each other as each has a set of similar challenges and similar solutions. One reason is that the terrestrial and space domains cannot be delinked.

Another key point raised in the panel is that knowing more about the nature of the problem is critical to space sustainability. Sharing information about orbital debris, mitigating its production and even developing capabilities to remove existing debris represent key objectives toward ensuring that conditions in outer space are favourable to continued use for humankind.

NUVIEW Advances Support Towards Climate and Environmental Mission

By
News Desk
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NUVIEW Advances Support Towards Climate and Environmental Mission

NUVIEW Advances Support Towards Climate and Environmental Mission

NUVIEW, an Earth observation company focused on geospatial technology, announced investor support from actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio who joined the consortium of investors, led by MaC Venture Capital, along with Broom Ventures, Cortado, Florida Funders, Industrious, Liquid2, and Veto Capital to help build the world’s first commercial LiDAR, light detection and ranging, satellite constellation. NUVIEW seeks to map the Earth’s entire land surface in real 3D for the first time and then repeating it annually.

NUVIEW’s LiDAR systems will generate first-time, centimeter-level accurate representations of the Earth, allowing for applications important in the fight against climate change. Traditional Earth observation methods, such as satellite imagery, have provided invaluable insights into our planet’s changes over time. However, these methods often face limitations regarding resolution, accuracy, and the ability to penetrate the cover of darkness or dense vegetation.

This investment announcement follows the passing of several critical technology milestones and signing over $1.2 billion in early adopter agreements from commercial companies and government entities.

Clint Graumann, CEO and Co-Founder of NUVIEW. “Our space-based LiDAR technology can revolutionize how we monitor Earth’s resources and ecosystems, providing us with the data necessary to make informed decisions and implement effective solutions. NUVIEW is committed to ensuring that our premier technology contributes to a more sustainable future for our planet.”

“NUVIEW’s technology will set itself apart by generating high-resolution, 3D images of the Earth’s surface, intending to improve the ability to monitor and protect the planet with much more accuracy,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “This unprecedented dataset will help enable scientists, policymakers, and conservationists to make more informed decisions and uncover valuable new insights in climate science.”

The new dataset will be ideal for national mapping initiatives, NGOs, commercial enterprises, researchers, governments, and organizations focused on addressing natural disasters, climate change and promoting sustainable development. NUVIEW aims to accelerate global efforts to protect the environment and preserve our planet’s biodiversity by fostering collaboration and information-sharing among stakeholders.

Luminar, Plus Partner for LiDAR and AI-Based Assisted Driving Software

By
News Desk
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Luminar, Plus Partner for LiDAR and AI-Based Assisted Driving Software

Luminar and Plus Partner for LiDAR and AI-Based Assisted Driving Software for Trucking

Luminar, a global automotive technology company, and Plus, a global provider of highly automated driving and fully autonomous driving solutions, announced a partnership to advance highly automated driving and safety systems for commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Under the agreement, Luminar will be the exclusive provider of mid-to long-range lidar for PlusDrive, Plus’s factory-installed assisted driving system for commercial vehicles. In parallel, Plus will be the exclusive third-party provider of AI-based enhanced driver assist software for Luminar’s solution for commercial vehicle OEMs.

Luminar’s Iris lidar is an automotive-grade sensing solution that enables high-performance, long-range detections. In addition to production consumer vehicles, Iris uniquely meets the stringent performance, robustness, and reliability requirements for class 8 commercial trucks.

Ultra long-range visibility is critical for trucking for both safety and comfort, and Luminar’s lidar is capable of seeing as far as 600 meters ahead. This represents as much as 20 seconds of visibility ahead at highway speeds to ensure even fully-loaded trucks can smoothly come to a safe stop when required. This provides a step-function improvement for ADAS systems while enabling the necessary foundation for fully autonomous driving.

Plus’s driver-in, L2++ solution, PlusDrive, which enables supervised autonomy is already commercially available and used to deliver freight by some of the largest fleets in the world today. PlusDrive uses components such as lidar, radar, and cameras from award-winning manufacturers to see 360 degrees around the vehicle and hundreds of meters ahead.

The AI-based software processes the data, predicts the behavior of surrounding vehicles, and then safely maneuvers the vehicle. It automatically handles stop-and-go traffic, lane changes, lane merges, nudging when next to an oversized vehicle, and staying centered in the lane while the driver remains alert and attentive. New driving features are continuously added via over-the-air software updates.

Plus and Luminar will also aim to collaborate on Luminar’s commercial vehicle insurance program, high definition mapping, and trucking sensor integration called Blade.

Dedrone Defense Launches Multi-Sensor Counter-sUAS Solutions

By
News Desk
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Dedrone Defense Launches Multi-Sensor Counter-sUAS Solutions

Dedrone Defense Launches Multi-Sensor Counter-sUAS Solutions

Dedrone, the provider of smart airspace security, announced the launch of DedroneTactical, its agile CsUAS (counter small uncrewed aerial system) response kit, offering modular sensor-fusion and mitigation flexibility in the field, including Radio Frequency (RF) detect and defeat as well as camera and radar.

All configurations leverage DedroneTracker.AI, the company’s AI-driven autonomous command, and control (C2) platform that provides end-to-end CsUAS capabilities for dynamic situations in a portable solution.

“The first half of 2023 has continued Dedrone’s incredible momentum from 2022, culminating in the new capabilities and equipment of our DedroneTactical solution, which were inspired by the demand of our federal customer base,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone.

“Through this multi-sensor detect and defeat solution, DedroneTactical delivers advanced AI-driven sensor-fusion technology in an expeditionary format, enabling operators to make decisions quickly and more accurately. We look forward to continuing to innovate with, and in service of, all our federal customers and warfighters working to secure airspaces and protect people, property, and information from the threat of drones.”

The flexible, plug-and-play DedroneTactical solution consists of two-masted kits, one ruggedized laptop and associated peripherals. Each kit is designed for quick and easy toolless set-up and tear-down. All DedroneTactical configurations leverage the DedroneTracker.AI C2 solution to deliver a complete airspace security solution that can be used for any sUAS-based threat profile and location. DedroneTracker.AI’s true AI-driven sensor-fusion capabilities utilize autonomous interrogation of potential threats to virtually eliminate false positives and elevate high-threat score targets to the operator, in a true “man-on-the-loop” format, for effective, rapid, and accurate responses.

DedroneTactical’s Base Kit supports several ruggedized RF sensors and BlueHalo Titan™ for EW defeat of RF-based sUAS across all protocols. All sensors are mounted on a single tactical mast and can be expanded to include additional remote DedroneSensors via wireless network links. The Extended Kit adds a second mast with radar and camera to enable both non-RF drone detection for autonomously navigated drones and as well as visual confirmation.

BlackSky Secures a Ground Station Infrastructure Augmentation Contract

By
News Desk
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0
BlackSky Secures a Ground Station Infrastructure Augmentation Contract

BlackSky Secures a Ground Station Infrastructure Augmentation Contract

BlackSky Technology has secured a two-year multimillion-dollar ground station infrastructure augmentation contract that establishes the strategic framework for BlackSky’s next major international advanced tactical ISR Ministry of Defense customer.

“BlackSky’s on-demand imagery tasking with low-latency delivery has become an indispensable part of daily operations for clients,” said Brian E. O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. “This contract reflects strong, sustained client interest in developing the underlying infrastructure to support long-term use of BlackSky’s high-frequency, dawn-to-dusk imagery and analytics services.”

BlackSky’s quickly-expanding international customer base is experiencing a new age of actionable intelligence for international governments, commercial customers, and non-governmental organizations.

Developing ground station capabilities will enable direct access to the company’s proprietary high-resolution, rapid-revisit constellation through the BlackSky Spectra AI tasking and analytics platform.

Draganfly Expands Collaboration with DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine

By
News Desk
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0
Draganfly Expands Collaboration with DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine

Draganfly Expands Collaboration with DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine

Draganfly announced the successful completion of critical training and demonstrations conducted in Ukraine. The training program involved Draganfly’s innovative Situational Assessment UAV technology, which was used to train personnel from the Main Department of the State of Emergency Services Cherkasy Region Ukraine, including the fire brigade and demining units.

DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine is a central body of executive power with activities directed and coordinated by the Cabinet through the Minister of internal affairs. It implements state policies in civil protection, protection of population and territories from emergencies, prevention of emergencies, rectifying emergency consequences, rescue work, fire extinguishing, fire and technogenic safety, accident rescue service activities, and hydrometeorological activities.

The training provided to DSNS state emergency services personnel included the fire brigade, demining units, and local Rotary officials. This comprehensive training approach aims to equip participants with the necessary expertise to leverage Draganfly’s turnkey de-mining solution.

“Our engineered UAV system represents a significant evolution in increasing the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of landmine detection and removal,” said Cameron Chell, President, and CEO of Draganfly. “We are committed to playing our part in supplying Ukraine with the necessary technology to assist in the restoration of life in the country.”

Draganfly has delivered Situational Assessment drones to DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine as part of an initiative to provide DSNS regional offices with support in their mission to create a mine-free Ukraine.