The project will combine for the first time a lighter-than-air UAV with sophisticated surveillance technology. BorderUAS aims to facilitate effective border surveillance and prevent cross-border criminal activities by supporting search & rescue applications, specifically rough terrain detection, improving the protection of European societies.
In BorderUAS, Dirigent Acoustics (aka DIRACS) is leading all activities in the development and implementation of the Acoustic Sensor. The system will provide an audio stream for sound classification and generate a real-time acoustic map of a surveyed area that will localize significant sound sources on the ground and in the air. The acoustic sensor will consist of a microphone array, using a beamforming algorithm to generate a visual presentation of an acoustic field. To improve the quality of the acoustic sensor, DIRACS is also working on the developing graphene microphones. This new type of microphone, developed earlier by DIRACS as a functional prototype, shows great potential of various applications, including the requirements of the BorderUAS system in terms of high sensitivity, low self-noise, and extended frequency range.