Athena AI, Teal 2 Drone: Computer Vision to Identify Weapons, Friends and Foes at Night

Red Cat Announces Athena AI as Computer Vision Partner for Teal 2

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Red Cat Holdings [NASDAQ:RCAT]  is held in the AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF [NYSE ARCA:UAV], the only ETF dedicated to the drone economy. For complete list of holdings click here.  The AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF is a thematic investment strategy seeking to capture the growth opportunities in drones and autonomous vehicles (AV).  AdvisorShares is a DRONELIFE sponsor.

Military technology company Red Cat Holdings has announced Athena AI as a computer vision partner for its Teal 2 military-grade drone. Military decision-support company Athena has licensed its proprietary computer vision architecture to Red Cat, which enables high-speed tracking of objects and in-depth data exploitation at slower speeds. Athena’s solution is capable of identifying weapons, objects and poses at night, as well as Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) markers like Cyalume HALOs and IR beacons.

“The Teal 2 is a mission-focused military drone, and our partnership with Athena enables us to integrate the very latest computer vision technology,” said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. “In military operations, every second counts, and Athena’s ability to track objects at night means our drone can deliver crucial intel to warfighters and commanders, providing rapid decision-making support.”

With the integration of Athena AI, the Teal 2 is able to support night-time Danger Close Fire Missions. It is able to locate and recognize the Forward Line of Own Troops (FLOT) in comparison with the enemy, enabling precision and safe fires on the target. Athena additionally supports rapid in-field target-set updates, with as short as a 72 hour turnaround for new target-detection algorithms, enabling rapid response to emerging threats.

“Most military operations take place at night, and Athena is proud to help the Teal 2 ‘Dominate the Night™, by offering our computer vision architecture,” said Athena CEO Stephen Bornstein. “We’re also excited to showcase our tech to the global customer base that Red Cat has built on its reputation for exceptional products.”

The Teal 2’s previously announced technology partners include Teledyne FLIR, Tomahawk Robotics, Reveal Technology and Immervision. The Teal 2 is the first sUAS to be equipped with FLIR’s Hadron 640R sensor.

Red Cat has already filled an order from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 54 units of the Teal 2. Last month, a Red Cat delegation led by Jeff Thompson visited NATO countries to discuss support for Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, Athena announced its first export sales to the U.S. Department of Defense in January. Currently, the company is holding a technology demonstration at the Avalon 2023 Australian International Airshow from February 28th to March 5th.

Read more:

• Rebuilding America’s Defense Industry: Utah Gov. Tours Teal Drones HQ
• New Teal Golden Eagle Drone Will Use Immervision Cameras for Low-Light Navigation
• Multi-Drone Mapping: Teal Drones and Reveal Technology Demonstrate for US Military
• What Drones Do US Border Patrol Use? Teal Drones Wins $1 M Contract for Golden Eagle

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.