Digital Crew applies AI for persistent observation

Digital Crew is designed for continuous observation of digital imaging streams. The software application uses pattern recognition to identify people and objects but also has the ability to learn.

It can simultaneously monitor numerous feeds from any digital source – CCTV, a digital imaging camera, a smartphone or a digital periscope.

“Observing a scene, it could recognise a vehicle approaching in the distance before a human, and would recognise it as a tank rather than a car,” said Amyas Godfrey, Thales external communications business partner (land). “It could then recognise the tank as a Russian T-72.”

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The software uses convolutional neural networks, which mimic the way the human brain learns, to build up a library or database of images it can recognise. It is provided with an initial database of objects (or persons) of interest as a starting point and examines images pixel by pixel to search for patterns.