Sentient Provides Detection Software for MQ-8 Fire Scout
MQ-8C Fire Scout’s first at-sea flight.
Sentient, a company specializing in computer vision technology, delivered the first Kestrel automated detection software to the Naval Air Systems Command to be used on the mission control system package for the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.
The Fire Scout uses onboard electro-optical/infrared sensors to capture video, identify targets and disseminate information to multiple users in real time.
“Automated video analysis tools like Kestrel help maximize the value of the EO/IR sensor package to the tactical operator,” says NAVAIR Program Manager Capt. Jeff Dodge.
Kestrel automatically detects objects on the video feed that are difficult for the human eye to decipher, including small objects on the ocean’s surface like boats, rafts or people overboard and vehicles and people moving on land. The software provides users with visual cues that allow for faster clarification of intelligence on distant objects.
“The goal is to improve sensor operator performance, which extends the capabilities of the entire platform in certain ISR modes of operation,” says Robert S. Murphy, integrated project team lead for NAVAIR ship integration.
