SPARC AI Inc. says it has completed a 43km long-range target acquisition test over open water and has integrated image recognition into its Overwatch drone software platform.
The company said the test was conducted in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, with target recording performed from a drone altitude of 115m above ground level.
In its announcement, SPARC AI compared the 43km distance to the narrowest width of the Strait of Hormuz, describing the scenario as relevant to “contested, GPS-denied maritime environments” where the capability is intended to operate.
SPARC AI said it has added image recognition into its drone controller application as part of its targeting capability. The company said Overwatch is designed to combine targets recorded by multiple drones, including from different manufacturers and locations, on a single operating map so operators can classify and track targets and plan missions.
The company said its next development phase includes the ability to deploy multiple drones from the platform, including “teaming and swarm” functions intended to coordinate drones from different manufacturers operating from different locations in GPS-denied conditions.
SPARC AI said it intends to make the new capabilities available to partners in Dubai, Ukraine and the United States in its next software update.
