SBIR-STTR Award

Recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence have led to significant advancements in the ability for computers to augment operators ability to rapidly draw conclusions from geospatial imagery. Slingshot Aerospace believes that AI enriched geospatial imagery on an ATAK device represents an enormous opportunity to transform the way Special Tactics Operators perform their unique mission sets by enhancing their ability to provide timely tactical situational awareness in support of the JFC or JSOTF Commander.For phase 1, Slingshot Aerospace will apply its expertise in advanced data analytics to assess the feasibility of providing a rapid and automated strike assessment streamed directly to an ATAK device.Beyond Phase I, the final implementation of this proposed technology will enable near-real time strike assessments and other automated object and feature extractions eliminating the need for lengthy human-in-the-loop analysis and use of unknowing crowd-sourced microworkers. machine learning, ATAK, artificial intelligence, Embedded Computing,Strike Assessment

Special Tactics operators do not have enough time nor compute power at the tactical edge to manually analyze overhead imagery to make informed time-critical decisions. During Phase I, Slingshot accomplished a technical feasibility assessment with an end-to-end bench top experiment of our AI-enabled autonomous edge device, "Slingshot Edge" for real-time inferencing. For Phase II, we will build this minimal viable product and embed our trained and parsed algorithms onto a lightweight GPU onboard a sUAS. Slingshot's ATAK plug-in modules will be designed keeping the warfighter in-the-loop to provide an optimized user experience. At the end of Phase 2, an end-to-end, "sensor-to-decision" flight demonstration will be accomplished in a representative environment. The analytics provided are fundamentally different than current single-stream edge analytics. Slingshot Edge will deliver an automated image processing, object detection, and interpretation system providing decision-quality information to the Special Tactics operators. In Phase II, we will conduct a fully integrated live demonstration in a representative environment, improve system reliability, and productize our system. Achieving these goals includes scientific and software development, pricing and go-to-market strategies developed for target markets. This effort will also focus on industry engagement opportunities including events and demonstrations to position Slingshot Edge for commercialization.