Automated life jacket detection enhances search and rescue operations

SOMERSET, U.K., 21 Feb. 2011. Sentient has enhanced its Kestrel Maritime automated target detection software to detect small, high-visibility objects, such as life jackets, supporting maritime search-and-rescue operations. Kestrel Maritime processes electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) full-motion video (FMV) from manned and unmanned vehicles (UAVs). The Life Jacket Detection enhances Kestrel Maritime’s EO capability to detect automatically small, high-visibility objects while searching wide maritime areas.

“Reducing detection time is critical to search and rescue operations. People and small objects in water are hard to locate, especially in difficult conditions,” says Dr. Paul Boxer, managing director of Sentient. “Kestrel’s Life Jacket Detection adds a new level to maritime rescue operations. Reliably alerting operators to the location of high visibility objects at the earliest opportunity, the software will help to save lives.”

The original Kestrel Maritime application operates in real time, automatically detecting small objects, such as pirate or illegal fishing vessels and objects with low electronic signature. The solution takes into account whitecaps, sun glare, and other challenging visibility effects.

Complementing radar, Kestrel Maritime supports a range of maritime ISR patrol missions.