Israeli researchers develop AI-based radar system to detect hostile drones in bad weather
Israeli aerial defenses have struggled to intercept hostile drones
For over eight months now, Israel has been subject to constant missile, rocket and drone attacks from at least six different fronts.
While its vaunted aerial defense systems have exceeded expectations, shooting down a high percentage of rockets and missiles launched toward it, Israel’s security system has been faced with a worrying number of drones that managed to penetrate the defenses and kill Israelis.
Historically, the Israeli answer to new kinds of problems has always come through creativity and ingenuity, which is exactly what researchers at the Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Engineering have done recently.
PhD student Omer Zadok, postdoctoral researcher Dmytro Vytchuk in the lab of Prof. Pavel Ginzburg, and assistant Kalil Hyon, have developed a technology to improve the identification of hostile drones, even in changing and extreme weather conditions, through smart radar tagging.
The researchers told Ynet News cameras are typically used to record and “tag” any aircraft that enters Israeli territory.
Their new technology will enable the use of radar guided by an AI algorithm, which classifies drones according to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by them.
The difficulty of detecting and classifying drones was most recently highlighted by the IDF’s failure to intercept a single drone that flew over 2,000 kilometers (almost 1,250 miles) from Yemen, before exploding in Tel Aviv and killing an Israeli man in his sleep.
“UAVs have turned into the main threat in terms of our ability to deal with it, because the army right now has no means of prevention except using F-16s,” Ariel Frisch, deputy security officer of Kiryat Shmona, told the Wall Street Journal. “We are very, very worried about it.”
Even the much-touted “Iron Beam” system, which uses lasers to shoot projectiles out of the sky – expected to be rolled out next year – would be hampered by bad weather conditions.
Zadok explained that camera-based detection systems are insufficient when the weather is cloudy, foggy, or stormy, making radar necessary for effective detection.
In the future, drones will be assigned an electromagnetic “identity” by the AI-guided radar system, which can tag the drones' wings, keep track of them and differentiate between different aircraft.
Preliminary testing was conducted in controlled laboratory settings, followed by trials in real-world conditions.
“The simplest solutions work best,” said Ginzburg. “This project leverages important physical principles for reliable and accurate drone classification. Identifying any drone on radar is complex, so the ability to recognize a specific drone is an achievement we are very proud of.”
Zadok noted that the combination of electromagnetic techniques, AI algorithms, and innovative radar technology yields optimal results. “Mapping the airspace is crucial for protecting the lives of soldiers and civilians. This project is vital in our daily lives, especially in these times,” he said.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
