Robot helicopters to find pirate boats

The US Navy is deploying robot helicopters that can spot pirate boats — even when they’re in a crowded sea lane, DisocveryNews reported.

Unlike their movie versions, real pirates don’t identify themselves by flying a jolly roger. Navy ships try to identify the thieves by deploying both drones with cameras and human pilots, but in coastal areas with a lots of boats, it isn’t easy to spot the one that’s hostile. A sailor might have to watch hours of video to find the right one.

The Navy turned to a combination of different sensing technologies to address this. Called the Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker, or MMSS, an unmanned helicopter uses high-definition cameras, mid-wave infrared sensors and laser-radar (LADAR) to find the boat. Meanwhile, sophisticated software allows the helicopter to identify the target independently of the operator. The software on board compares a 3-D image to templates and schematics in its memory.  Read more... (242 words)

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