Multi-Drone Mapping Demonstrated to US Army

Reveal Technology has partnered with Teal Drones, a division of Red Cat Holdings, for the provision of multiple Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to power Reveal’s Farsight mapping software that automatically combines imagery from multiple UAS to produce high-fidelity 3D maps.

This new technology was successfully demonstrated to US Army Special Operations Command near Fort Bragg.

By increasing the speed of collection, users receive Farsight maps and analytics faster than ever. This software matters because military tactical teams’ ability to quickly produce accurate maps of areas targeted for military operations can mean the difference between mission success or failure. 

Farsight gives military teams virtually real-time access to detailed 3D maps of a target area that can be overlaid with:

• Line-of-sight analysis, which allows a team to choose a route at the target area that is least visible to the enemy
• Terrain analysis and graphing
• An AI-generated ‘best route’ through a target area, based on line-of-sight data, elevation mapping and terrain analysis
• A vertical measurement tool, for determining the height of buildings and structures that may be part of an operation
• A helicopter landing zone survey, to quickly identify the best and safest spot to land

These combined features provide a team with an advanced awareness of the situation as it actually is on the ground, leading to more successful missions.

Farsight blends computer vision, AI and computing ‘at the edge’, meaning no network connection is required, which eliminates the need for additional processing capabilities like servers or cloud infrastructure. This speeds up the entire process and allows the creation of detailed, actionable maps from virtually anywhere. Importantly, computing at the edge does not increase the team’s electronic signature to the enemy, which could attract artillery fire, among other responses.

“Farsight already significantly sped up the rate at which aerial imagery could be used to help teams more safely and effectively carry out their missions,” said Reveal COO Andrew Dixon. “Simultaneously gathering data from multiple drones, such as using Teal’s 4-Ship multi-drone system, compounds this for significant intelligence advantages on the battlefield.”

First introduced in June 2022, the 4-Ship allows a single operator to simultaneously control up to four of Teal Drones’ Golden Eagle drones, allowing for instant and ongoing 360-degree surveillance of a target. 

“A primary role of Teal Drones – which is one of only a handful of drone companies approved to provide equipment to the US military – is to provide a superior airframe upon which others build apps that allow the military to better meet their objectives, including warfighter safety mitigation,” said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. “This integration of Reveal’s Farsight software with Teal’s 4-Ship product is one of the most important apps that has been developed for the Golden Eagle so far. We are excited about our partnership with Reveal and look forward to even more groundbreaking developments in the future.”

“What sets Teal and Red Cat apart – and an important reason why we are excited to be working with them – is their demonstrated ability to build and ship product,” added Dixon. “Because Teal has a dedicated manufacturing facility in the US, they can make good on their promise to deliver products to the military on-time, which is an enormous advantage in today’s drone industry, and means that our technology is much more likely to get to users on the front lines when they need it.”