TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
WINNER OF THE COOLEST THING MADE IN IDAHO: BLACK SAGE’S SAWTOOTH ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLACK SAGE
Enforcing the “no drone zone”
BY HAILEY MINTON
Ten years ago, counter drone systems did not exist because they were not needed. High commercial drone production has led the market to evolve quickly, which has opened the door for the technology to be used for nefarious purposes. Black Sage is a Boise company that offers counter drone solutions. They live by their business philosophy of being agile and proactive to quickly adapt to new problems. Whether it is a big military drone classified as a Group 4 drone, or a small Group 1 drone you can buy at Walmart, Black Sage’s defense OS software utilizes sensors of the highest caliber to detect and defeat any drone threat. Ross Lamm, co-founder of Black Sage, is the Chief Technology Officer and holds a
PhD in Machine Vision Engineering. “It’s really interesting to be constantly exposed to new and different technologies that we can add to the system,” he says. Sawtooth is the system that is used in the field. It is a layered approach. Black Sage doesn’t make any of the sensors used in the system themselves. “Many of our competitors repurpose their radar to counter UIS,” explains Ross. That makes them biased towards their own technology instead of using the best solutions for their clients. “We don’t make any of them,” Ross continues. “We integrate various sensors that are very interesting. We don’t necessarily make all those sub technologies, but we survey the market space and evaluate the different things available and integrate those.”
Black Sage’s Sawtooth setup has a range of sensors atop a mast. The sensors are integrated with their Defense OS software. This mast is built on a trailer that can be driven to the location that needs to be protected. After raising the mast, the radars, cameras, and antennas monitor the area for threats. The effectors on the mast are responsible for defeating the drone threats. Ross and his team are passionate that their contributions in technology save American military lives. The U.S. military’s Forward Operating Bases are some of the locations that need counter drone protection. FOBs are typically a structure like a shipping container and act as an office for personnel to communicate with others who are operating in the field. Sawtooth
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