Passive 3D Sensor for Autonomous Aerial Navigation

The US is closer than ever to a three-front war in the Pacific with China, Russia, and North Korea. To mitigate these emerging threats the USAF has enacted Agile Combat Employment (ACE), which includes the ability to set up Resilient Bases at Contingency Locations (CLs) and to keep them supplied via full-size autonomous aircraft. UAS must be able to land at unimproved or improvised runways using strictly passive (undetectable) sensors and without the benefit of GPS, radio beacons, or other RF aids. Compound Eye has the solution. Compound Eye's passive 3D sensor will enable a new approach to autonomous aerial navigation. The DAF and commercial customers will be able to use the proposed sensor during multiple stages of flight for both UAS and munitions, including VNS for relative position; VPS for absolute position; passive TERCOM for navigation; detection of ground and air obstacles for collision avoidance; detection of targets for terminal guidance; and autonomous landing operations, all with zero signature. These are critical capabilities for ACE.