SBIR/STTR Award attributes
AvaWatz HAYA is Edge-to-Cloud software that monitors the video feed from a camera on a tethered flying drone and uses novel real-time Computer Vision (CV) methods to detect Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on airfield runways. It consists of a mobile Edge component that runs on a platform in a vehicle to which the drone is tethered, and a Cloud-based component that trains the CV models and creates lightweight AI-at-the-Edge CV packages for real-time mobile execution. The Edge User Interface enables Human-Machine co-working, with HAYA providing a second pair of eyes for FOD detection. The Cloud component also collects imagery, user feedback, and reporting data from the Edge software at run time, and it uses that data to periodically re-train CV models and to create reports. HAYA will significantly lower the time required to perform runway inspections and will reduce the likelihood of FOD objects being overlooked during inspection. It will combine video imagery with geolocation data to create a map of the airfield that can be used for driver safety training and assistance. FOD on runways is a critical safety concern at all airfields, military and commercial, so AvaWatz is already in negotiations to market HAYA to commercial airport operators.
