AI Capabilities to be Integrated Into Drone System for SRR Program

Red Cat Holdings, Inc. will integrate advanced AI capabilities into its next generation drone under development for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Tranche 2 Program of Record. 

The company specializes in drone technology, integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations.

Red Cat’s subsidiary Teal Drones (Teal) will incorporate Teledyne FLIR’s Prism™ AI platform, which provides classification, object detection, and autonomous tracking technology in real-time during both nighttime and daytime operations.

Teal was recently selected by the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Army as one of two finalists competing in the SRR program. The program’s goal is to provide small, rucksack-portable sUAS capabilities to Army platoons for situational awareness beyond the next terrain feature. 

The company’s collaboration through the Thermal by FLIR® program will enable Teal to move beyond customary ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) capabilities and into the realm of tactical edge capability, battlefield management, and critical decision-making support designed to meet or exceed the SRR requirements.

Teal 2, the company’s current flagship product, is built in Teal’s factory in Salt Lake City. It is an affordable, man-portable sUAS designed to “Dominate the Night™”. 

Teal 2 is equipped with Teledyne FLIR‘s Hadron 640R sensor, which provides end users with the highest resolution thermal imaging with best-in-class night vision. It also has multi-vehicle control support and a fully modular design.

The drone is designed to support U.S. military operations, public safety organizations, and U.S. government agencies in a variety of environments. It is both Blue UAS Certified, which indicates its approval by the Department of Defense, and FAA Remote ID approved.

George Matus, Red Cat’s Chief Technology Officer, said; “Teal’s solution is the first to integrate this kind of advanced artificial intelligence and real-time processing onboard the aircraft itself. This allows us to bring as much capability to the tactical edge as possible while lowering the cognitive load of warfighters. 

“Our collaboration with Teledyne FLIR continues to strengthen our product ecosystem and help unlock the powerful future we see with drones.”