Award

Seaflight Technologies developed its SeaSense autonomous flight software to enable safe and sustained ultra-low altitude flight (<30ft) over the sea for commercial drone logistics. We are adapting this for defense applications. Sustained flight at ultra-low altitude at sea can reduce detectability for UAS undertaking ISR or aggressor/loitering munition missions. It can also be useful for training, to emulate a range of maritime aviation threats that adversaries have developed. SeaSense optimizes flight low among the wave clutter and can be affordably retro-fitted to almost any small/medium UAS. Built on top of an open-source autopilot, it works with anything from low-cost consumer sensors weighing a few hundred grams total, to high-end hardware depending on the mission. The project will examine the feasibility of extending this for Defense applications through simulation linking the flight engine to synthetic environments, with the work augmented by incorporating micro-radar for more robust detect-and-avoid including GPS-denied ops, and integration of more advanced autonomy from an established sub-contractor with extensive experience in maritime drone operations. By the end of the project, the quality, quantity and type of synthetic data needed for robust model training will be understood, and appropriate levels of sensing and edge computing will be established for given mission parameters developed with SCO stakeholders.  A follow-on Phase II proposal would naturally develop the system further with real-world training data, and eventual demonstration of flight-capable prototype hardware.