A research and development company, X Development, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is currently working on a prototype geolocation and georectification technology that uses artificial intelligence to improve the National Guard’s awareness and analysis capabilities in response to natural disasters. The prototype, named Bellwether, can determine the positioning of Civil Air Patrol aerial images it has received and identify critical infrastructure within these images even when they show significant damage or changes to the landscape.
Master Sgt. Kenneth Houck of the Georgia Air National Guard highlighted Bellwether’s ability to drastically reduce the time spent analyzing CAP imagery from days to seconds. This speed improvement enables the Guard to respond faster than ever before during critical moments following a natural disaster. DIU Senior Scientist and Program Manager for Remote Sensing Nirav Patel praised Bellwether’s effectiveness in interpreting aerial images taken from different perspectives. This feature helps streamline response times and support those impacted by disasters.
Bellwether was developed in response to a 2022 DIU solicitation on behalf of the National Guard, which sought AI-powered technologies capable of processing electro-optical aerial images. With this cutting-edge technology at their disposal, the National Guard will be able to react quickly and efficiently during emergencies caused by natural disasters.