SenseIntel

Transforming Airforce Intelligence Operations

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Inspiration

John discovered [Operation Igloo White] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Igloo_White , which aimed to automate intelligence collection using electronic sensors, computers, and communications relay aircraft. However, contemporary military challenges, particularly from offensive drones, reveal a concerning gap in defensive capabilities. Our focus on real-time sensor data movement arises from the urgent need for innovative defensive solutions to enhance the security of U.S. ground forces in dynamic operational environments.

What it does

Our toolkit empowers commander workforces with real-time sensor data feedback, enabling agile action planning based on environmental cues and historical trends, ultimately optimizing drone deployment strategies through platforms like Radiant.

We streamline operations by automating equipment and facility monitoring, access control, and asset tracking, freeing up staff resources.

Comprehensive Sensor Data Management

  • Planning, deployment, monitoring, and response to sensor data. Affordable Sensor Accessibility -Ensuring cheap sensors reach those who require them, along with the necessary technology stack for data processing. Versatile Sensor Applications
  • Tracking various data types such as audio, seismic, RF signals, and more to fight offensive drones

Why this is helpful

For commander workforces, we enable:

  • Efficient Resource Allocation: Automates equipment and system monitoring, access control, and asset tracking.
  • Enhanced Productivity: Frees up staff members to concentrate on strategic or specialized tasks.
  • Improved Operational Effectiveness: Ensures greater accuracy and consistency in critical areas.

How we built it

Sensor Placement Planning

  • Tooling to enhance planning and deployment of sensors in areas of interest.
  • Utilizes Satellite Image + LLM Analysis for ideal sensor location

Open Source Tooling and Analysis

  • Open Standards for Handling and Analyzing Data Streams in Real Time

Software

  • MQTT: Lightweight messaging protocol for communication between IoT devices and the processing system.
  • Redis: In-memory data structure store used as a message broker for queueing MQTT messages.
  • Python: Programming language used for developing the message processing workers.
  • PostgreSQL: Open source relational database used for storing IoT sensor data.
  • Robust Random Cut Forests (RRCF): Anomaly detection algorithm used for calculating timeseries anomaly scores.
  • Grafana: Open source analytics and monitoring platform used for reporting and visualizations.
  • Docker: Containerization platform used for deploying the demo environment.
  • Docker Compose: Tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications.

Challenges we ran into at SenseIntel

  • Data Management Complexity: Managing and querying sensor data stored in PostgreSQL may become complex as the volume of data increases.
  • Algorithm Optimization: Implementing Robust Random Cut Forests for anomaly detection might require fine-tuning and optimization to achieve accurate anomaly scores.
  • Visualization Complexity: Configuring Grafana for reporting and visualization may involve a steep learning curve, especially for complex data visualization requirements.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of our contribution to enhanced productivity. By developing tools that streamline sensor planning and deployment in areas of interest, maximizing their effectiveness through our integrated Satellite Image + LLM Analysis approach, we enable staff members to focus on strategic or specialized tasks, thereby boosting overall productivity and effectiveness.

What we learned

Commander forces need easy visual tools to avoid a steep learning curve in configuring Grafana for reporting and visualization, particularly for complex data visualization requirements.

What's next for SenseIntel

As AI gets more advanced, we'd like to build more predictive analytics for optimal drone placement based on other parameters like the movement of figures and image detection with a camera.

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