Shield AI, a leading deep-tech company specialising in advanced autonomy software and defence aircraft, unveiled this week its ViDAR Pod – a cutting-edge AI-enabled Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) system. This next-generation technology provides persistent, wide-area airborne surveillance across land and maritime domains, a capability that has traditionally relied on radar.
“For too long, large-scale detection has been dominated by radar, but ViDAR is changing that,” said Christian Gutierrez, Vice President of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI. “As modern battlefields become increasingly contested, platforms must be able to detect, locate, classify, and track threats without emitting active signals. ViDAR enables real-time, passive optical tracking across land and sea, delivering persistent surveillance at a fraction of the size, weight, and power – without broadcasting a signal – giving operators a crucial advantage in covert operations.”
The ViDAR Pod is designed with a compact 60-centimetre tube form factor and is initially available as a single underbelly pod. It is equipped with multi-spectral cameras, an integrated processor, and a separate inertial measurement unit, along with industry-standard mounting options. Its AI-driven analytics and camera configuration enable seamless multi-domain detection within a single system, ensuring round-the-clock surveillance flexibility across various mission scenarios.
Some of its key features include:
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Real-time, passive surveillance for land and maritime domains
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Day, low-light, and night detection of both stationary and moving targets
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Superior coverage compared to sensors in a similar weight class
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Detection and classification of high-value threats, including moving personnel, vehicles, stationary targets, dark vessels (boats with AIS turned off), fast boats, illegal fishing operations, patrol boats, semi-submersibles, and larger ships
Designed primarily for Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the ViDAR Pod is also compatible with rotary and small fixed-wing aircraft. It complements radar systems by effectively detecting low radar cross-section targets, enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and force protection across a range of mission platforms.
In introducing the ViDAR Pod, Shield AI is redefining aerial surveillance, offering a powerful alternative to traditional radar and equipping operators with a strategic advantage in complex operational environments.
Post Image Credit: Shield AI.
