Increasing the space-time precision of the operational picture for strategic superiority is a major asset for the safety of our troops. Innovative furtive electronic agents have to sense and collect the right information without overwhelming analysts and communication media.
Left on the battlefield, Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) have to provide long-term autonomous sensing of their environment. Bio-inspired multisensor systems are the best compromise between energy consumption and sensing efficiency (B-SAVED).
In order to quickly anticipate threats with UGS, innovative algorithms must be optimised to fit with embedded hardware computational resources (SmartCam).
Understanding the situation at the sensor level requires local knowledge, real-time and accurate event assessment by maximising the number of recognitions per second & per watt (e.g. TEAM project).
Facing highly evolving situations implies self-adaptive UGS. It is a major goal to design evolving hardware through autonomous learning.
- Development of autonomous sensors for zone surveillance
- Bio-inspired multiple-sensor systems
- Algorithms for the autonomous learning of sensing systems
B-SAVED concept
Bio-inspired Smart Autonomous Visual Event Detector
SmartCam
Autonomous virtual expert detecting visual events and alerting when necessary
I-WARN: Intelligent Watchdog with Autonomous Recognition and Networkability
High-energy lasers offer new possibilities of future defence systems . Our research activities are focused on the understanding and analysis of multiple phenomena generated when a laser radiation hits a target in order to develop physical and behavioural numerical models. Activities focus especially on 1-µm-wavelengths interacting with typical materials used in military targets such as metal alloys, composite structures or glasses.
Research activities also focus on the protection of optronic systems against laser aggression. In close collaboration with ISL's materials specialists, specific materials with nonlinear optical properties are developed. They are able to reduce the intensity of laser irradiation by several orders of magnitude.
In the field of THz spectroscopy ISL develops detection systems and innovating methods to characterise dangerous substances (explosives, toxins). These activities are carried out in close cooperation with universities all over the world in civilian and in military domains. We develop especially an application for the detection of falsified drugs and counterfeit medicines.
- Modeling of thermal phenomena of the interaction between radiation and matter
- Specific metrological tools
- THz spectroscopy for the analysis and detection of suspicious molecules
The studies related to the physical protection of personnel and assets against explosives focus on conventional and novel military threats as well as on highly versatile improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as multiphase blast explosives or home-made explosives.
ISL has long-standing experience in the field of ballistic protection. This activity is dedicated to defeating the threat caused by the kinetic energy of gun-fired projectiles, explosively formed penetrators or fragments.
Research activities combine experimental and theoretical investigations with numerical simulations. They focus on the mechanisms of impact, penetration and perforation and on the characterisation and modeling of materials at very high strain rates (metals, ceramics and fabrics).
- Threat characterisation
- Mitigation of the effects of different threats
- Target protection
