The partnership between Shield AI and Innovaero Technologies is aimed at adding advanced autonomous capabilities to Australia’s OWL series of one-way loitering munitions. The companies have signed an MoU under which Shield AI will provide its Hivemind autonomy technology for the Australia-designed precision weapon family.Innovaero’s OWL-B has already received the Hivemind software ahead of forthcoming flight trials. During testing and simulation, the technology is being used to explore coordinated attacks involving multiple autonomous systems operating in changing scenarios. Mission operators can direct these activities through the Android Team Awareness Kit interface.Hivemind functions as a platform-agnostic autonomous control system. It can alter planned routes, negotiate obstacles, respond to changing circumstances and perform complex mission tasks without depending continuously on communications. Shield AI says the system is intended to operate even when communication links are unavailable, intermittent, degraded or restricted.The autonomy suite has a broad integration history. It has been tested on the Airbus H145, Northrop Grumman Talon IQ, US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft and BQM-177A target drone. Shield AI has also worked with Destinus to integrate Hivemind into Hornet loitering munitions, with Australian personnel participating in flight testing in Spain. The company has demonstrated the technology beyond aircraft as well, including applications on water and in orbit.
