Early warning saves livesand keeps forces operational
Watchbird® is developing the CBRN Sensor Concept: a sensor that detects chemical threats automatically, and warns everyone nearby through a wireless mesh or star network. The same small sensor can be worn by soldiers, mounted on vehicles and drones (UAV/UGV), placed on buildings and gathering places, or deployed in the terrain, for both armed forces and civil CBRN units. Future development steps include radiological and biological substances.
CBRN threats are silent. Every minute without warning counts.
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents are often invisible and odourless. The sooner a unit knows it has been exposed, the sooner it can put on protection, perform other preventive measures, move out and get medical help. Today, warning and identification of the type of chemical substance and its concentration depend on specialist teams and equipment: a scarce resource that is likely to cause delays.
Early warning saves lives
Early warning is the number one factor in reducing casualties and the overall use of resources. Exposure time and concentration decide whether exposure becomes injury, and an immediate warning helps soldiers take preventive steps with protective equipment faster. At the same time, Command and Control receives vital information, with improved situational awareness and better predictions.
Less damage, less cost
Real-time information on location, type of substance and concentration improves situational awareness, prediction capacity and accuracy. That means fewer casualties to treat, reduced or better-targeted preventive and decontamination measures, less equipment lost, and affected units that stay operational.
Specialist teams and equipment
Early detection relies on intelligence, specialised vehicles with sensor suites, and dedicated CBRN teams with handheld sensor equipment. All of this requires extensive training and is a scarce resource, creating a time delay from incident to proper situational awareness. Watchbird technology will give each operator and team an immediate warning, and significantly reduce the time before Command and Control has correct situational awareness for decision-making.
“The wars in Syria and Ukraine show a great need to develop new technologies for early CBRN detection, monitoring, diagnosing, protection and effective communication to limit the harmful effects of such life-threatening exposure – potentially protecting and saving military and civilian lives.”
Watchbird® CBRN Sensor Concept
A networked capability for armed forces and civil CBRN units in situations where they can be exposed to chemical agents. The small sensor, targeted at about 3 cm across, can be attached to individual soldiers, vehicles and drones (UAV/UGV), placed on buildings and gathering places, or deployed in the terrain. It provides immediate warning to the user and team, and at the same time updates Command and Control systems with specific information about the type of substance and its concentration.
Exposure
A chemical agent is released close to the soldier.
One sensor, many applications
Worn, mounted or deployed: it is the same small unit, the same network and the same automatic alarm, wherever it is placed.
- SoldierWorn on the vest
- VehicleMounted on the vehicle
- BuildingsBuildings and gathering places
- DroneCarried by UAVs and UGVs
- TerrainDeployed in the terrain
Fully automatic detection and warning
A built-in algorithm detects chemical agents and raises the alarm by itself, with no operator or specialist needed. Type of substance and concentration are reported to Command and Control.
Mesh or star network
Sensors connect in a mesh or star network, where alarms are relayed sensor to sensor or through a central node, so soldiers nearby are notified automatically.
Robust, secure long-range link
Alerts reach the team, medical services and command by integration with existing robust and secure long-range communication.
Supports decontamination
Improved situational awareness and more accurate predictions facilitates decontamination efforts to be prioritized and conducted for better utilization of scarce resources.
Built to military requirements
Small (target size about 3 cm across), low weight, properly encapsulated and designed according to military requirements, with a long battery life and standby capacity.
Secure and flexible
Built on commercial technology tailored for secure and flexible integration to military and civilian systems and standards in accordance with customer requirements and specifications.
Help us bring early CBRN warning to every soldier
Watchbird develops in close collaboration with universities, defence research institutions, government stakeholders and operational end users. If you would like to test, co-develop or follow the CBRN sensor project, get in touch.