ZeroEyes, creators of the only A.I.-based gun detection video analytics platform that holds the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, has received its third Direct-to-Phase II SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the U.S. Air Force AFWERX. The grant awards ZeroEyes with $1.25 million to integrate its A.I. gun detection solution onto existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base (AFB).

The integration of ZeroEyes’ solution will enable the UAV’s camera to detect a brandished gun the moment it is visible. Once a gun is identified, screenshots will be shared with a weapons expert at an operations center, who will confirm the threat and trigger the UAV to utilize its sensors, target designators, or electronic transmitters for response and interference. The entire process takes only 3 to 5 seconds.

“A quarter of active shootings take place on government property, and we will take every step possible to protect our airmen,” said Capt. Nicholas Martini, chief innovation officer at Dover AFB. “ZeroEyes’ technology not only provides another layer of security; it will also enable us to reduce our investment in security personnel and use our manpower for more mission-critical tasks.”

Founded by a group of former Navy SEAL team leaders, ZeroEyes’ solution uses hundreds of thousands of proprietary images and videos to train its A.I. The solution is capable of identifying guns before the first shot is fired by integrating its machine learning software with existing IP security cameras. The company’s operations center utilizes 24/7/365 human verification to deliver accurate and actionable intelligence about the brandishing of a gun near an occupied area or building. Once a shooter or intruder is identified, ZeroEyes’ software triggers an automated alert to notify first responders of the threat, saving time and saving lives.

“ZeroEyes was founded by ex-military, so we are proud to give back and utilize our technology to protect our nation’s enlisted airmen,” said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. “There are many exciting possibilities for the combination of automation and robotics with ZeroEyes’ A.I. gun detection. We believe this to be a scalable solution that can be used in any Department of Defense environment.”

This is the third in a series of Air Force grants awarded to ZeroEyes this year. ZeroEyes previously announced it had received grants for Drone-Robot Enabled Active Shooter Deterrence (DRASD) deployments at Ellsworth AFB, SD, and the development of unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) automated threat detection at Minot AFB, ND. The company plans to continue working closely with the Air Force and extend its solutions to the broader Department of Defense.