DroneSentry-C2

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  • 2021

  • Digital
    Interface

DroneSentry-C2 is a map-centred graphical user interface (GUI) enabling police, security, or military personnel to plan protection from, then detect and defeat, unlawful drone activity from the browser. DroneSentry-C2 outperforms in its class of sensor interface design as it transforms torrents of sensor data to an intuitive, minimalist, actionable interface.


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  • CHALLENGE
  • SOLUTION
  • IMPACT
  • MORE
  • Defence forces, prisons, stadiums, airports, and public events around the world see increasing threats and disruptions from drones that menace government and military personnel, infrastructure, and security operations. The DroneSentry-C2 sensor interface design is the second generation of DroneShield's command-and-control software to provide customers with graphical understanding, and defence against, rogue drone activity. The legacy design-complicated and cumbersome-required technical specialist users. The main design challenge was to empower non-specialist end users, by making the interface instantly intuitive-without diluting capabilities and functionalities.

  • From the start, a wholesale overhaul was needed: both the algorithmic backend, plus a from-scratch point-and-click GUI. Driven by customer input, armed with a whiteboard and markers, we kicked off an agile development process to iterate repeatedly through development, demonstration, and feedback. This rapid-feedback loop was invaluable. Internal tools included Jira for collaboration and prioritization of feature requests and fixes, and Confluence for documentation. We integrated more sensor data, built an analytics dashboard, and added other innovative features such as real-time drone alerts, sensor-fusion, and Artificial Intelligence supported drone detections. DroneSentry-C2 was rolled out to customers in record time.

  • As our flagship planning and command-and-control interface, the design of DroneSentry-C2 has been integral to the global commercial success of our entire product suite, which rests upon it. As a security and defence product, any design shortcomings--such as unintuitive design or poor performance--could lead to real-world injury to personnel and property. DroneShield's commercially successful design for DroneSentry-C2 converts otherwise-overwhelming torrents of multi-mode sensor data (e.g., radio frequency, radar, thermo-optical, acoustic) into a real-time graphically pleasing-and more importantly, immediately intuitive and actionable-user interface.

  • An open, sensor-agnostic system, DroneSentry-C2 works with sensors and effectors built by DroneShield and third parties, affording customers maximum flexibility and protecting prior investments. The planning tool enables users to drag and drop sensors and effectors of all types onto a map of their facility, to quickly configure optimal drone detection (and optionally, defeat) capabilities for their unique threat profile. With its browser-based GUI, customers monitor their real-time drone threats from any browser anywhere-whether on a laptop or a tablet. The customer can host DroneSentry-C2 onsite on their premises, or instantly spin up a cloud-based instance for minimal on-site hardware footprint. Scalability permits the customer to monitor as many counter-drone installations as required, up to areas as large as an entire city. DroneSentry-C2 reduces cognitive burden: user-defined zones of interest minimize nuisance alerts; fusing multi-sensor data reduces false-positive and -negative detections; instant, automatic neutralisation of drone threats; optical AI autonomously seeks, tracks, and displays even fast-flying drones. DroneSentry-C2 incorporates cybersecurity and access controls required by the most-demanding governmental customers. DroneSentry-C2 sends the right alerts at the right time: custom alerts can alarm on the UI, be sent by email or SMS, or transmit directly to a customer security system.