Smarter weapons inspired by nature – BIOSEEKER
Research Project
- Start Date:
- 4 March, 2009
- Project Status:
- Active
For a number of years, DSTO has been conducting research into the way insects see and navigate. The ultimate aim of the research is to develop novel low cost, miniaturised and ruggedised detection, tracking and guidance technologies to enhance the use of weapons systems against moving targets in the air, land and sea.
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- Cybird 5 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
DSTO research has resulted in the development of “biomimetically inspired” moving target detection and tracking algorithms, which when coupled with novel guidance methodologies has resulted in a technology referred to as BIOSEEKER.
The BIOSEEKER technology is being developed by DSTO, with the aid of a number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) under the Capability & Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program. The CTD program is designed to enable Defence to bring forward the assessment of advanced technologies and determine their potential to enhance Defence capability.
The final phase of the BIOSEEKER CTD is underway and involves integrating the BIOSEEKER technology and other support systems into the Australian developed Cybird 5 UAV and then demonstrating the BIOSEEKER technology at Woomera in mid 2009. The final demonstration will involve utilising the Cybird as a surrogate weapons vehicle and guiding it to strike a moving land based vehicle.
The BIOSEEKER technology developed in the CTD has utilised commercial-off-the-shelf components. After the final demonstration, the technology will be ready for development as a miniaturised, ruggedised, low cost, add-on device that can provide autonomous guidance to UAVs and guided weapons to increase significantly their ability to acquire, track and strike moving targets.
DSTO is currently seeking industry partners to further develop and commercialise the BIOSEEKER technology with the aim of transitioning it into capability for the ADF.