Droning On

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Drone Flights Leave Military Awash in Data.” It describes some of the issues involved in the increasing use of drones, especially by the Air Force.

The main problem, similar to the attempted Christmas Day bombing, is the volume of the data. Just last year, the military captured so much data that it would take 24 years to watch if viewed continuously. In addition to the most publicized purpose, striking at terrorists in the mountainous regions of Pakistan, the drones also play a crucial surveillance role in stopping roadside bombs and protecting areas where troops will be entering.

According to the article, the Air Force is still lagging behind the television industry in using tools such as telestrators. However, in my opinion, the main problem still concerns the volume of data. The military must develop automatic ways to categorize it, beyond the initial review for any mortal dangers. One of my clients provides an audio tool for call centers with a large volume of communications. This tool uses speech analytics so supervisors can categorize phone calls and pick out the ones useful for training purposes. I’m sure the Air Force could develop similar technology for video.