Challenge

This self-initiated studio project challenged the team at Komodo Digital to create a secure real-time low cost aerial surveillance system aimed at law enforcement and counter terrorist organisations. The team were briefed to create an app that could deliver high quality live images from a drone to a police officer’s phone. The brief had a number hurdles for the team to overcome including understanding the various scenarios in which a drone might be used, near real-time stitching and secure sharing of high resolution images, and seamless software integration with a police force’s own information system. The ultimate, challenge was to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that could be demonstrated to law enforcement agencies with a view to making this a successful new start up venture for Komodo Digital.

Outcome

‘Overwatch’ is an iOS based application that allows a police operator to create and fly efficient autonomous missions that gather high quality photographic intelligence. The images are encrypted and sent to a secure server before being automatically attached to a police incident record for rapid sharing amongst the operational team. This was all achieved without the time consuming need for the drone to land before manually downloading the images. Apart from speed, the solution provides a much more cost effective way to gain aerial intelligence of an incident that would otherwise require the use of police helicopters. A working prototype was created in approximately four months of studio time in between working on other client projects.