In our Stories from the Field series, we touch base with the team to revisit the diverse places, projects and partnerships that keep our bird and drone radar systems at the cutting edge. Today, we look back at the CUAS Sandbox 2024 in Canada, an event designed explicitly to put counter-UAS systems to the test.
Each Robin radar is deployed with a unique mission to make skies safer, but before they make it to the big wild world, or even test events like these, they go through thousands of iterations and hundreds of field tests.
We innovate daily, and events like the Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) Sandbox 2024 provide a prestigious arena to challenge our systems, and hard work.
What is the CUAS SANDBOX?
In a world where technology is booming, defence and security teams face increasingly intelligent and drastic threats. The CUAS Sandbox 2024 gathers leaders and innovators from the military, defence, and security sectors. It aims to assess technologies designed to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), or drones.
This annual event is a critical platform for testing, demonstrating how advanced systems perform in demanding realistic scenarios.
Because effective counter-UAS systems include a variety of detection and mitigation technologies, the CUAS Sandbox focuses on integration with broader military command and control systems.
In May 2024, Robin’s VP Defence and Security, Bob Moll and Solutions Engineer, Ralph Wiersema, attended the prestigious event with our 3D drone radar, IRIS. To assess how IRIS integrates with other advanced technologies and sensors, they joined our esteemed partner, DARIT Technologies, on Canadian soil in Suffield, Alberta.
joining forces
At Robin, we’re true advocates of the powers of counter-UAS radar. No surprises there.
But we also headline our technology not as the stand-alone answer, but as an integral part of an entire CUAS solution. No single sensor can detect, track, classify and neutralise drones. It takes several, working in absolute harmony to tackle the drone and its unpredictable motive.
Only specialised drone radar can detect everything within its broad range, acting as the primary sensor to alert and cue others. This is why we partner with experienced and knowledgeable system integrators, such as DARIT.
The CUAS Sandbox solution comprised a Skycope Technologies SkyEye sensor, four DARIT microphone sensor arrays (acoustic cameras), two AXIS optical cameras, and our IRIS drone radar. Other technologies were also tested within the system, such as Ouster’s LiDAR, to address low-altitude drone flights.
Throughout the event, IRIS was put through a series of rigorous tests designed to challenge its detection, classification and tracking capabilities, both alone and within a varied system of sensors.
Performance under pressure
The team faced a multitude of long-range, linear and non-linear flights with numerous types of UAS, from the smallest quadcopters to fixed-wing drones, moving alone and simultaneously.
IRIS was able to detect and classify successfully in all test scenarios without a single false alarm, though the environment was open and therefore optimal.
Ralph Wiersema, on-site Solutions Engineer, shared: "Overall our system and Skycope's system were integrated and tested very successfully in the DARIT solution.
“IRIS dealt with all test scenarios, delivering robust results and performing extremely well with the other cutting-edge sensors in the system. It's really impressive that DARIT implemented support for our radar within three days, and it was great to see our technologies work so well together."
To recognise particularly high-performing setups, the event awarded three ‘Diamond in the Rough’ prizes to top innovators in tackling micro and mini uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
DARIT Technologies received a second-place tie with Prandtl Dynamics, an incredible achievement amid 15 advanced innovators and providers.
One Step ahead
The drone threat is evolving, but with breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and deep neural networks, we match the pace. Our drone radars are designed to keep defence and security teams worldwide one step ahead of an evasive threat.
VP Defence and Security, Bob Moll, said: “We’re proud to have been part of such an experienced line-up at the CUAS Sandbox 2024. It was extremely valuable to engage with a community of innovators, experts, and end-users at the forefront of counter-drone technology.
“The insights we gained there, and from similar events, tests, deployments, and client feedback, are fed directly to the research and development team to continuously refine and enhance our radars.
“A big thank you to our partners and peers for their collaboration and commitment to pushing the boundaries in counter-drone defence and security. We look forward to the next testing event.”