Israeli companies Innoviz Technologies and Cogniteam have teamed up to develop a new counter-drone detection (C-UAS) system aimed at improving the detection, classification, and tracking for security systems.
The new solution combines Innoviz’s 3D LiDAR (Light detection and ranging) sensors along with Cogniteam’s AI-powered perception and analytics software that allows for more accurate drone detection by the analysis of 3D morphology, motion, flight behavior, and signatures to distinguish between drones and other aerial objects, such as birds, to reduce false alarms.
This innovative technology builds on more than a year of operational deployments of Cogniteam’s ClearZone platform, together with Innoviz LiDAR, for perimeter protection, critical infrastructure security, and border surveillance.
Innoviz, a supplier of automotive-grade LiDAR sensor platforms, said in a press release that the collaboration is intended to help system integrators and security providers deploy accurate drone detection, localization, tracking, and classification systems. Cogniteam developed a 3D analytics engine that analyzes object morphology, motion, flight behavior, and 3D signatures to reduce false alarms and improve threat identification.
“Effective drone defense requires not only detecting flying objects, but accurately understanding what they are,” Cogniteam CEO and co-founder Dr. Yehuda Elmaliah said. According to him, the combination of Cogniteam’s analytics and Innoviz LiDAR provides detection and classification capabilities that conventional sensing struggles to match.
"We are the eyes of the defense ecosystem. Our LiDAR provides defense organizations with the exact 3D position of a threat, enabling the systems they already own to act with far greater confidence. This is proven automotive technology aimed at the most urgent security problem of our time," said Omer Keilaf, the founder and CEO of Innoviz.
According to the companies, the module can be integrated into existing security architectures and is intended to serve as a core perception layer in broader counter-drone systems. It was developed to support deployment by system integrators, defense contractors, and security providers.
Innoviz said the partnership provides a scalable foundation for next-generation counter-UAS and critical infrastructure protection systems by combining its LiDAR sensors with Cogniteam’s AI perception software.
Cogniteam develops AI and robotics software, including a cloud-based platform for managing and deploying robots and AIoT devices. The company provides tools for robotics firms and integrators to operate and control fleets.
Innoviz supplies LiDAR technology to automotive manufacturers and other industries, offering sensors designed for long-range, high-resolution, and reliable operation in harsh weather conditions. The company operates in the US, Europe, and Asia and provides solutions for automotive OEMs, municipalities, commercial enterprises, and defense and security applications.
The company also announced on Tuesday that Maj-Gen. (ret.) Yoav Har-Even, the former president and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, was appointed as the chair of its board of directors. This appointment comes amid the company's expansion of its focus beyond automotive applications into the defense and security industry.