Artificial intelligence (AI) software company Shield AI has announced the acquisition of Martin UAV, the developer of the already successful V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft.
The announcement comes just a week after Shield AI revealed its purchase of Heron Systems, another company that has demonstrated successes in the defense market.
As disclosed, Shield AI plans to integrate its autonomy software, Hivemind, into the V-BAT, an innovative, near-zero footprint VTOL and long-endurance capabilities.
Propelled by a single, ducted, thrust-vectored fan, it takes off and lands in the style of a SpaceX rocket. It offers 11 hours of flight time, carries 25 lbs. of payload, and can hover and stare 10 times longer than any of its competitors. Its logistics footprint fits into the bed of a pickup truck or inside a Blackhawk helicopter, significantly reducing the total cost of capability.
The US Navy has already recognized the benefits of the VTOL technology, selecting Martin UAV for a VTOL UAS prototyping and development effort earlier this year. V-BAT was selected following a large-scale technology demonstration including 12 other submissions.
“The combination of Shield AI and Martin UAV and the integration of Hivemind® into the V-BAT represents the future of unmanned aircraft,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI cofounder and former Navy Seal.
“GPS and communications on the battlefield are no longer assured. A great aircraft without an AI to make intelligent decisions will be sidelined against China, Russia, and an increasing number of adversaries who are fielding electronic warfare and anti-air systems. Shield AI is one of the only companies that has operationalized advanced aircraft autonomy on the battlefield. Hivemind will make V-BAT the first and only Group 3 UAS built for sustained operations in denied environments,” according to Ruben Martin, CEO Martin UAV.
Shield AI’s Hivemind uses path-planning, mapping, state-estimation, and computer vision algorithms, combined with reinforcement learning and simulations, to train unmanned systems to execute a variety of missions – from infantry clearance operations to breaching integrated air defense systems with unmanned aircraft.
“Our team extensively examined the VTOL aircraft market. The architecture of the V-BAT is special. It looks different because it is different – no product or technical architecture is better positioned to meet current and future Department of Defense needs. The engineers behind V-BAT solved extremely complex problems with innovative and first-principles approaches. By addressing these problems, they unlocked critical advantages over other VTOL aircraft,” said Ryan Tseng, Shield AI CEO and cofounder.
Last week Shield AI announced its acquisition of Heron Systems, the winners of the DARPA AlphaDogfight Trials. The company said the acquisition of Martin UAV complements a deliberate strategy to integrate Hivemind onto unmanned systems for defense and commercial applications.
