KiMar Gartman of Catalyst Accelerator interviews our very own Dan Huffman
In February 2019, Catalyst Accelerator Program Director, KiMar Gartman, interviewed our Manager of Business Development, Dan Huffman, about our efforts in using our Intelligent Workspace solution and data fusion to make big data small and help out the US Space Force.
Watch the full interview below, and read more about our work with Catalyst Accelerator, our Layer8 Intelligent Workspace solution, and how data fusion can help in the space domain.
Intelligent workspaces
Intelligent workspaces use software and smart technology to enable employees to work more effectively and easily. By consolidating information publishing and sharing, communication and collaboration tools, and self-service abilities with AI in intuitive user interfaces, intelligent workspaces empower workers and minimize mundane, repetitive tasks.
With the minutiae covered, employees can devote more time to more critical, high-level work that AI/ML software isn’t sophisticated enough to handle.
Data Fusion
Data fusion relates to intelligent workspaces in that the process integrates multiple data sources into one larger system to create more valuable, accurate, and consistent information for users.
Data fusion processes are categorized as low, intermediate, or high, depending on the fusion stage’s processing stage. For example, low-level data fusion combines several sources of raw data to synthesize new raw data. The expectation is that fused data is more informative than the original inputs.
Vigilant’s innovative AI solutions are making big data small to help Space Force
Imagine your job is to manage the data from a dozen different platforms—to get to the one or two nuggets of the most important information your customers need.
For example, let’s say you’re a US Space Force satellite operator who’s managing a critical on-orbit communications satellite for the US government. Your job is to detect any potential threats to that satellite that might take place during your shift.
The threats facing your satellite can include:
- Adversarial nation activities taking place in space near the satellite
- Space and terrestrial weather concerns
- Collision potential
- Launch trajectories for new space assets coming up from Earth
To get a clear operational picture of the orbital space you’re responsible for and how it’s going to affect your satellite that day, you also need to parse through multiple information sources, including domestic and foreign websites, internal communications platforms, emails, informational documents, and several other software platforms.
Now, multiply that job by a dozen satellites that you and your small team have to look after for the next 8 hours until the next crew’s shift. How much of your shift will you spend just looking for information to manage your satellites’ threats?
That’s a big data problem. And that’s a problem Vigilant is currently solving with the US Air Force’s support, using our patented Layer8 Intelligent Workspace solution as the foundation.
Vigilant’s Layer8 Intelligent Workspace solution
Since 2019, Vigilant has helped develop solutions for the Air Force and Space Force that apply a unique AI approach to provide the most relevant data to operators based on their specific needs.
Information aggregation
Want to know if there is a rocket launch scheduled to cross paths with your satellite today? Layer8 already knows you want that information and already has an alert going out to your station.
Collecting & cross-referencing reports
Want to know if a pending launch is still happening? Local weather is already captured for that site on today’s date, cross-referenced with multiple international weather station reports, and it’s raining at the pad location. The launch is likely to be scrubbed that day.
Sensory data fusion
Did an adversarial nation move one of their satellites out of its regular orbital space and re-orient it to interfere with our satellite? Layer8 has already grabbed those sensor observations and alerted the operations center mission directors to task the operators with appropriate maneuvers for our satellite.
These are just basic examples of how massive amounts of data (when properly synthesized) can provide end-users with critical knowledge at just the right moment to make a difference.
The problem is not in the availability of data. The problem is that the relevant data is extensive and would take too long to synthesize manually. Layer8 does the job many times faster and gets to the correct answer much sooner—saving precious time in the effort to manage the vital space assets in use by America and her allies.
Federal investments in Layer8
We are adapting Layer8 for multiple applications, and it’s being used in operator training cycles with generous SBIR program grants from the US Air Force and AFWERX, the Air Force Ventures investing team.
Now that this solution has real traction in the defense marketplace, the sky—no, space is the limit for Layer8.
As Vigilant moves forward on our journey with the Air Force, we’re finding other ways to apply the technology in data-heavy environments, such as transportation, airports/airlines, law firms, and financial institutions. Vigilant is also discussing the technology with various investors, who will be part of our growth journey in the coming months.
Keep watching this space for more innovation success from Vigilant—where we are genuinely making big data small!
Be smart. Be resilient. Be Vigilant.
