The initiative uses microphones from thousands of networked smartphones to track low-radar-signature military aircraft.
An acoustic mapping application is using thousands of old Android smartphones to detect military drones, such as Shahed models. The initiative employs a crowdsourced microphone network to identify low radar cross-section (low-RCS) targets, which are difficult for conventional systems to track.
According to Tom's Hardware, the system operates collaboratively. The networked smartphones pick up the characteristic sound of unmanned aircraft in flight, making it possible to map the location and direction of the drones long before they reach their final targets.
The technology offers a low-cost solution to a complex defense problem. By turning obsolete electronic devices into distributed sensors, the tool can triangulate the aircraft's route by analyzing the acoustic signature of their engines, bypassing the limitations of radar detection for small targets.
This approach demonstrates how the integration of simple hardware and collaborative software can be applied to monitor aerial threats. The early tracking provided by the smartphone network expands the time window for implementing defensive measures and security alerts.
The app uses the phones' microphones to pick up the characteristic acoustic signature of drone engines. By analyzing the sound across a crowdsourced network, the system triangulates the aircraft's location and flight path.
Many military drones have a low radar cross-section (low-RCS), making them difficult for conventional radar to track. An acoustic network provides a low-cost alternative to detect these small targets by their engine sound.
The main advantage is early threat detection. By tracking drones long before they reach their targets, the system expands the time window for implementing defensive measures and security alerts.