Strategic Elements subsidiary achieves site acceptance testing of autonomous security vehicle
Strategic Elements’ subsidiary Stealth Technologies has filed three patents relating to autonomous vehicles and perimeter intrusion detection systems.
An autonomous security vehicle (ASV) developed by Strategic Elements (ASX: SOR) investee company Stealth Technologies has passed site acceptance testing at the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, near Boulder in Western Australia.
The site test was attended by representatives from Stealth, security company Honeywell and the WA Department of Justice and aimed to prove the ASV’s capabilities in a designated live operating environment when connected to real-world devices and interfaces.
The ASV has been designed to seamlessly integrate into the prison’s security management platform and navigate pre-defined missions covering all aspects of interior and exterior fenceline technology, including testing of microphonics sensors, microwave and photo-electric beams, and electro-magnetic fields.
Testing is aided by a robotic actuator which extends out of the vehicle and simulates cutting or climbing of the fence.
Surveillance is provided by a military-grade camera with 360-degree high-definition video capabilities.
The ASV reports back in real time to the Honeywell-designed Enterprise Buildings Integrator, designed to enable the management of complex facilities such as prisons through a single management portal.
Early adopters
Stealth has had ongoing discussions with potential early adopters of the ASV and the AxV Platform (autonomous mobile robotics) in the non-correctional sector.
“Working closely with early adopters will help us to deeply understand their use cases, solve their specific problems and continuously upgrade and improve the technology,” the company said.
The ASV is designed to automate perimeter security and reduce the amount of human involvement in testing and patrols, freeing those staff up for more skilled tasks.
The global perimeter security market is forecast to have a compound annual growth rate of 12% until 2026, reaching $363.85 billion by 2025.
Quarterly results
In its March quarterly report, Strategic Elements said its support of investee companies Stealth (for the development of robotics and artificial intelligence) and Australian Advanced Materials (memory and battery technology) had accounted for most of its $431,000 net expenditure over the period.
Expenditure for the three months to 31 March remained consistent with the December quarter as a result of Stealth’s continued progress on the ASV deployment with Honeywell.
Stealth received $25,000 in contract revenue and invested further in development of the ASV with $275,000 spent directly on final research and development work as well as staff and operating costs.
Strategic Elements managing director Charles Murphy said it was “exciting” to see the ASV move towards commercialisation after successful concept, design and manufacturing stages.
With a mandate to back Australian innovation, Strategic Elements generates wholly-owned ventures by combining teams of leading scientists and inventors from the technology and resources sectors.