Echodyne startup from Kirkland, Wash., Whose investors include Bill Gates, and the University of Washington assisted the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Office (DARPA) in testing the Aerial Dragnet project for a drone city tracking and tracking system at an altitude of less than 300 m.
Echodyne provided DARPA with compact radar systems, and the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) took part in a system test that took place during the week of October in the San Diego area. Echodyne's EchoGuard and EchoFlight radar systems were installed on two tethered balloons above the city at an altitude of 400 feet (122 m), as well as on rooftops around San Diego and National City. According to Echodyne Technical Director Tom Driscoll, more than a dozen company radars were involved in the experiment. During testing, scientists sent various types of drones to the sky above the city to identify them with a detection and tracking system. The main problem with the Aerial Dragnet system is the difficulty in distinguishing drones from other objects in the background, including birds and land vehicles.
