At American Tenet, we build on advanced technology from the Naval Research Laboratory's ALOFT program, which developed a method to enable unmanned aircraft to soar using natural atmospheric thermal energy. However, the platform couldn't locate thermals and relied on chance encounters.

Our technology advancement equips autonomous, fixed-wing, unmanned aircraft with advanced sensors and a specialized computer vision (CV) model that works like a pair of "glasses" to detect and track wind patterns by mimicking the techniques of birds and glider pilots to "see the wind." Our aircraft enables thermal, ridge, and dynamic soaring operations up to 90,000 feet above ground level, nearing the edge of space.

We use topographic maps to predict wind movements over terrain, LiDAR to analyze the ground composition, electro-optical cameras to assess cloud layer altitude and classification, and medium-wave infrared sensors to track bird flights. By combining all this data with thermal sensors and real-time weather information, our CV model enables drones to stay airborne longer.