Introduction to the ViDAR Pod
American defence technology firm Shield AI has unveiled its latest innovation, the ViDAR Pod, a next-generation passive surveillance system capable of wide-area detection across both land and maritime domains. This new system offers an alternative to traditional radar, enabling persistent monitoring without emitting detectable signals.
How the ViDAR Pod Works
The ViDAR Pod utilizes Visual Detection and Ranging technology, enhanced by artificial intelligence, to passively track targets in real-time. Shield AI claims this system represents a significant advancement in covert surveillance, as it detects and classifies threats using optical tracking methods.
Christian Gutierrez, Vice President of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI, noted, ‘For too long, detection at scale has been dominated by radar, but ViDAR changes that paradigm. As modern battlefields become more contested, platforms must detect, locate, classify, and track threats without relying on active emissions.’
Specifications and Capabilities
The ViDAR Pod is compact, measuring 60 centimeters, and is equipped with multi-spectral cameras, an integrated processor, and a separate inertial measurement unit. This configuration supports flexible mounting and provides full day and night operational coverage in a lightweight package.
Among its key capabilities, the ViDAR Pod offers real-time surveillance and can detect various threats, including moving individuals, vehicles, dark vessels, and semi-submersibles. Shield AI states the pod performs beyond similar sensors, making it valuable for missions such as illegal fishing, smuggling, and force protection.
Compatibility and Integration
Designed for Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems, the pod is also suitable for rotary and small fixed-wing aircraft. It complements existing radar systems by identifying targets with low radar cross-sections, thereby strengthening intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Source: Shield AI (press release).
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