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31 May 2019 | TECHNOLOGY Game changers of defence tech
Rapid technological growth is the new norm in every sector, and the military is no exception.
// STORY Thrina Tham
// PHOTOS PIONEER Photographers
Just as soldiers sharpen their skills in combat and mission planning, defence scientists and engineers flex their muscles in designing and acquiring technology to suit the military's needs.
Today, the local Defence Technology Community (DTC) is a 5,000-strong set-up that lends its engineering and systems expertise to help the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) respond faster and make better decisions — all while driving down costs and manpower needs.
It comprises the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO), as well as several agencies within the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
Ace Team
While DSTA harnesses technology to deliver capabilities such as weapons and IT systems, DSO focuses on the Research and Development (R&D) of technological solutions. The Future Systems and Technology Directorate in MINDEF, on the other hand, is responsible for master-planning and managing the SAF's requirements.
FSTD is constantly looking for emerging technologies that can address the SAF's key challenges, said Deputy Future Systems and Technology Architect, Colonel Victor Huang. "For example, artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensor technologies are some key areas that can help to transform SAF operations.
"Besides R&D, it is important to conduct experiments together with end users, so that the final capability can best meet their needs."
PIONEER meets the local scientists and engineers who work to build up the SAF's capabilities.
SEEING FURTHER, ACTING FASTER
The SAF is realising the potential of autonomous vehicles. Unmanned systems take the first leap in the battlefield, allowing soldiers to see further and make better decisions while they stay in a safe location. These systems are also designed to be increasingly autonomous, reaping manpower savings.
Looking Through Walls
Mr Poh (in black tee) and his team programmed a smart navigation algorithm to enable their indoor drone to map in real time.
You've seen the movies where special forces storm an apartment, swiftly clearing rooms one by one and taking down all the bad guys.
In reality, it is a lot more complex than it seems. Even if commanders have the floor plan, it does not reveal the number of armed assailants in the quarters. And what if the layout has changed?
This is where indoor mapping comes in. Using just two drones, a team of DSO engineers have constructed a 3D map of a previously uncharted area in
real time.
Working simultaneously, their indoor mapping drones have successfully mapped DSO's library — around the size of a 5-room flat — in just 1min 30s.
Taking the First Step
These drones can explore and navigate autonomously without any prior set-up or the use of the Global Positioning System.
This is an impressive technological leap, considering that most indoor mapping drones require operators to set up beacons in the room for the drone to locate where it is. "But this is not practical for us; we cannot expect soldiers to go into a hostile area and set up (equipment)," said flight control engineer and project lead Poh Yze Yang.
Instead, DSO's indoor drone uses a smart navigation algorithm that allows it to map in real time and track its own location based on its distance to the walls and objects it is mapping. The team's algorithm also allows multiple drones to work in tandem and contribute to the same mapping image so that they can map faster.
Information from both drones are then consolidated and sent to a command post in real time. The result is a precise 3D model of the apartment's interior, rendered in a true-to-scale grid.
"We want to use unmanned assets to mitigate risks for our soldiers, especially in urban fighting where the casualty rate can be quite high," said Mr Poh, 31.
With this remote surveillance capability, commanders can make better decisions on their next course of action and even the number of soldiers to deploy.
The drones also have a "smart command and control" mode for commanders to direct it to areas of interest when needed. For example, the drones can be instructed to inspect the corner of a room where terrorists are suspected to be hiding at.
Mapping Faster
With their indoor drone (top right), the team has successfully mapped the DSO library (above), an area roughly equivalent to a 5-room flat.
In order to improve the drone's speed and accuracy, the DSO team will enhance the system with stereo cameras — using two cameras to give the depth between objects and thus form a 3D image.
This replaced the Time of Flight sensors which the team initially used — these sensors emit infrared light in order to measure its distance from an object. While the concept worked, mapping was slower and enemy forces could detect the infrared emissions.
"We're trying to map faster because time is critical when it comes to operations, (such as) counter-terrorism missions. This upgrade brings us closer to it being applied for military use," noted Mr Poh.
The stereo camera can also be switched to use low- light sensors, should there be
a need to enter a dark room.
The project is part of a DSO initiative to get young engineers to brainstorm simple and effective solutions to complex problems, explained Mr Poh. The team is then led by senior engineers like him to explore the feasibility and cost-saving applications of these ideas.
Sea Sentinel
(From left) Mr Lex Lee, Mr Ang, Mr Lim, Mr Tan and Ms Yew Mock Lew worked day and night to deliver the first of three UWTs at Jurong Island within a month.
Standing at 8m tall with its hawk-like eyes trained on the seas, the Unmanned Watch Tower (UWT) is a mighty companion to the troopers who guard against intrusions on Jurong Island.
The tower uses advanced low-light cameras to provide a wide field of view so that 24/7 surveillance can be done remotely at a command post, reducing the manpower for such operations by up to 30 per cent.
It is also equipped with smart video analytics tools for automated detection of suspicious activities in the waters. In the past, soldiers would take shifts on the watch towers and visually scan the sea using binoculars.
Designed and built by DSO, the first UWT on Jurong Island became operational last March, with another two deployed in September.
Robust Detection
DSO had just a month to deliver the first tower after they signed the UWT contract in February 2018. To pull this off, a team was put together comprising members with expertise in systems engineering, human factors engineering and artificial intelligence.
Off-the-shelf sensors were not able to detect small objects in the moving waters so the team harnessed their own video analytics knowledge to do the job.
SAF operators carrying out surveillance remotely from a command post.
"We added 'knowledge reasoning', so the programme would look at movement patterns, the size and colour of the object and even if it's moving within certain speed limits," said Mr Tan Yuan Sin, who is the video analytics and fusion lead. With this technology, the programme can detect if a ship is sailing erratically or even if there is a swimmer in the water.
The real challenge was for the programme to achieve a high level of accuracy at night when light conditions are poor.
"At first there were a lot of false alarms so we added 'scenario learning' for it to learn what is just reflection on the water and what is likely an object of interest," explained Mr Tan, 43.
Project director Mr Lim Poh Soon, 55, recalled one of many nights when the team stayed late to conduct night trials on the UWT. One particular night fell on Valentine's Day on 14 Feb when various system errors started to emerge.
"We ironed out the issues and managed to solve them one by one until we realised it was the ground softening below the cabin," he recounted.
"By the time we were done, it was already 10.30pm. From then on, we called ourselves the Valentino team."
Strong Tower
It was apparent to the team that their system had to be resilient to facility disruptions.
To ensure 24/7 surveillance, DSO engineers installed an independent power supply so that the UWT will continue to run even when there are power outages.
However, if power is not restored within a certain period, the system will do a "graceful shutdown" to prevent overheating and preserve its functions, explained Mr Ang Thiam Leong, 49, the system engineer of the team. The system will also automatically boot up when main power is restored.
"That's the beauty of the system — you don’t need someone to come down and run it," said Mr Ang.
The UWT cabin was made to be mobile — with its retractable mast and dimensions of a standard 20-foot container — and can be easily transported for deployment at other key installations.
Its video analytics software can also be adapted for other uses. Currently, a similar smart analytics tool is also being used by the Navy to spot suspicious persons and vessels out at sea.
What the user says
In the past, we had sentries who had to stare at the ocean for long hours with little rest. With the UWT, soldiers are in the command room operating the UWT and we can plan a more efficient use of manpower. Those who are not combat-fit can also be deployed for the job.
2nd Sergeant Colin Chong, Platoon Sergeant, 9th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment
In the past, we had sentries who had to stare at the ocean for long hours with little rest. With the UWT, soldiers are in the command room operating the UWT and we can plan a more efficient use of manpower. Those who are not combat-fit can also be deployed for the job.
2nd Sergeant Colin Chong, Platoon Sergeant, 9th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment
https://www.mindef.gov.sg/web/porta...-article-detail/technology/2019-Q2/jun19_cs#2
