CONVOY advances assessment of technologies for detecting hidden threats

GMV has taken part in CONVOY’s third evaluation campaign. The intelligent cloud-based explosive detection system combines multiple technologies to identify hidden threats such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. The European project, coordinated by GMV and funded by the European Defence Fund, conducted the campaign in September at the facilities of the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) in Grindsjön, Sweden. The campaign formed part of the European technology challenge for hidden threat detection, involving four consortia: AIDEDex, CONVOY, Determine, and TICHE. 

CONVOY combines detection technologies with unmanned ground and aerial platforms, using artificial intelligence to fuse sensor data and a tactical cloud to integrate the system’s various components and services. The aim is to improve threat detection and recognition. During this third campaign, work focused on improving performance in route clearance and the detection and classification of hidden threats such as landmines and IEDs. 

The campaign also introduced an urban scenario, in contrast to the rural environments used in previous evaluations. Participants conducted preliminary tests in this new environment in preparation for subsequent project activities. The evaluation also aimed to validate progress, collect data, and continue training the system and its artificial intelligence algorithms. 

The results and lessons learned from this third campaign will help guide the next stages of development as the project enters its final year and moves toward the final evaluation. Under the CONVOY project plan, this final campaign will take place in Spain and combine rural and urban scenarios to demonstrate the system’s capabilities and validate its results.