CyberBee, an Israeli maker of the thinnest-ever flying drone, is teaming up with California-based EyeCloud.ai to collectively develop an indoor mini-drone for use by first responders in Israel and the US as a navigation software in difficult places the place there is no such thing as a GPS.
The venture was chosen by the US Division of Homeland Safety’s Science and Know-how Directorate and Israel’s Public Safety Ministry and has obtained $1.75 million in funding from the Binational Industrial Analysis and Improvement (BIRD) Basis, which inspires US-Israel cooperation.
Megan Mahle, director of trade partnerships on the Science and Know-how Directorate, described the “progressive venture” as “providing a big leap in first responder capabilities.”
The indoor mini-drones are developed to assist first responders rescue individuals trapped in a constructing throughout a terror assault, fireplace, or earthquake, or to comply with robbers, terrorists, and shooters in indoor places equivalent to banks, malls, and faculties.
As a part of the homeland safety venture, Rosh Ha’ayin-based CyberBee’s vision-based spatial intelligence for robotic indoor navigation in places with out GPS will likely be joined with EyeCloud’s AI digicam capabilities and real-time cloud processing expertise. The high-accuracy, indoor, light-weight, and low-cost autonomous mini-drones are anticipated to be operational within the fourth quarter of 2024.
“Through the years, the Israeli Public Safety Ministry has been searching for technological instruments to reinforce safety within the public area,” stated Gad Frishman, chief scientist on the ministry, in an announcement. “We want success to the awarded firms to additional develop their joint system,” which, he stated, will increase first responders’ operational effectiveness.
The non-public mini AI autonomous indoor drones are anticipated to be deployed by first responders equivalent to search and rescue groups, legislation enforcement tactical groups, firefighters and navy particular squads.
Since 2016, the US Division of Homeland Safety and Israel’s Public Safety Ministry have partnered to fund expertise cooperation between R&D firms within the two international locations to seek out options for homeland safety wants in areas equivalent to cybercrime, border safety, UAVs, and superior applied sciences for first responders.
