Customs Coastwatch trials new 'eye in the sky' technology

aerosonde ^

[Lokibob]

Advanced surveillance technology currently being trialled by Customs Coastwatch off the Western Australia coastline could one day change the way Australia monitors its maritime borders, the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison, said today.

The surveillance platform, a small pilotless aircraft equipped with surveillance sensors which can remain aloft for more than 20 hours, is being evaluated by Customs Coastwatch.

Vessel off the WA coast captured by an Aerosonde UAV's camera
during the Customs surveillance trial
Source: Australian Customs

Known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), this aircraft is being tested over 100 hours of day and night flying in waters off Shark Bay, near Carnarvon between 19 June and 2 July.

With a wingspan of just three metres and weighing only 15 kilograms, the aircraft is launched from the back of a four wheel drive vehicle and remotely piloted.

"Australia is always looking at new technologies to more efficiently keep an eye on our vast coastline and I understand that initial results from the trial are encouraging," Senator Ellison said.

"UAVs are being examined by many countries, including Australia, because of their potential to offer a cost-effective, flexible surveillance system that can complement the use of other assets such as aircraft and surface vessels," he said.

"While it is too early to speculate on whether UAVs will form part of our surveillance program in the future, the trial is providing Coastwatch with valuable information about both the limitations and capabilities of this evolving technology."

Coastwatch is currently reviewing its civil maritime surveillance and response program to determine how best to respond to future challenges in civil maritime surveillance.

"The results of this UAV trial will be examined as part of this review," Senator Ellison said.

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The ability to control Aerosonde UAVs from remote locations

Aerosonde UAV #127 was launched around 7:45am Tuesday June 29, 2004 from Shark Bay, Australia, carrying 2 video cameras.

At the same time (7:45pm Monday June 28, 2004) in New Jersey, USA, images of Shark Bay Marine Park taken by the Aerosonde UAV were received by a computer in a hotel room via the internet.

Shortly after, control of the Aerosonde UAV was handed off to the UAV controller in the hotel room in New Jersey using a piece of software called the Aerosonde Virtual Field Environment (AVFE). The AVFE enables a user to direct the UAV over places of interest from remote locations anywhere on Earth. In this case the UAV was being directed over the Shark Bay Marine Park in order to inspect areas of interest from half a world away.

The purpose of this link was to demonstrate the ability to control Aerosonde UAVs from remote locations and bring the required information and control ability to where the customer requires it. In this case it was the US Army and the US Coast Guard who attended the demonstration to evaluate the possibility of incorporating Aerosonde UAVs into their surveillance fleets.

This was not the first time the AVFE has been used, in fact it has used regularly in many missions all over the world. This was, however, the furthest distance it has been tried with controller and aircraft practically on opposite sides of the globe.

After the demonstration concluded aircraft control was handed back to Shark Bay where the local controller could continue with the current mission.

[Lokibob]

More pix on the URL.

Of all the jobs I had in the Army and since retiring, I wish I had done some UAV work. I find it interesting.

Down toward the bottom, they talk about tracking and controlling the UAV in Australia from a hotel in New Jersey.

......Bob

[Terabitten]

CBP Ping.