Ultra low cost
~$50 per node depending on configuration, using COTS components. Expendable by design, enabling deploy-and-forget tactics in denied areas.
Strix detects, classifies, and helps localize small drones purely by sound, including fiber-optic, autonomous, and FPV units that emit no RF and stay invisible to radar and radio scanners.
A self-healing mesh of solar-powered sensor nodes from ~$50, with on-device machine learning and a handheld field terminal. Fully offline, RF-silent, deployable by hand or carrier drone.
Small FPV and fiber-optic drones have become the dominant threat in modern conflict zones. Fiber-optic drones are immune to RF jamming and invisible to RF detectors, eliminating the two most common countermeasures. Acoustic detection is one of the only viable remaining defenses.
Western counter-drone systems cost $5K–$50K+ per unit, require connectivity, and are designed for fixed installations. Forward units, mobile positions, and resource-constrained organizations have had no affordable, autonomous, infrastructure-free warning system.
Strix is a direct answer to fiber-optic drones, which are immune to jamming and invisible to RF detectors, yet have become a dominant battlefield threat.
Each node listens continuously via dual MEMS microphones and runs on-device signal processing and ML classification to distinguish drone motor signatures from environmental noise. On detection, the node forwards an encrypted alert across the mesh to all connected devices within seconds, fully offline, with no cloud, server, or phone required.
When an internet path is available, any node can forward data to a remote dashboard, without changing how it operates in the field.
~$50 per node depending on configuration, using COTS components. Expendable by design, enabling deploy-and-forget tactics in denied areas.
Each node weighs ~150 g field-ready and fits in the palm of your hand. The IP65 weatherproof enclosure is roughly ~10 cm square.
Indefinite autonomous operation with 1–2 W solar and dual 3000 mAh batteries. Up to ~6 weeks battery-only in calm conditions. No cables to run.
Pure acoustic detection works against drones RF detectors cannot see: fiber-optic controlled, autonomous waypoint, and low-emission FPV units.
The whole system operates offline over a long-range mesh. No cellular, no WiFi infrastructure, no cloud. Internet is optional for remote monitoring, never required to detect or alert.
Emits no RF while detecting, so it cannot be located by drones scanning for emissions. At ~10 cm square, nodes hide easily in vegetation or debris.
Two digital microphones pick up the sound of drone motors and propellers. On-device signal processing and machine learning separate that signature from wind, vehicles, and other background noise, in real time, with under 500 ms from sound to alert.
Estimated from acoustic propagation modeling and microphone sensitivity analysis. Actual detection range varies with drone size, environment, and ambient noise.
| Environment | Group 1 | Group 2 | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet field | 100–200 m | 300–500 m | 150–800 m |
| Rural | 50–120 m | 200–400 m | 80–600 m |
| Suburban | 20–60 m | 100–200 m | 30–300 m |
| Combat zone | 5–25 m | 40–120 m | 8–150 m |
| Environment | Range | 10 km alert |
|---|---|---|
| Line-of-sight | 2–10 km | <1 s (1 hop) |
| Rural | 2–8 km | <1 s (2 hops) |
| Urban | 1–3 km | ~1 s (5 hops) |
| Forest | 0.5–2 km | ~2 s (7 hops) |
Solar-powered sensors with omnidirectional acoustic detection. Deploy around a perimeter; they operate autonomously and share detections across the mesh.
Handheld tactical display with TFT touchscreen, GPS, and extended-range antenna. Shows a live map of all nodes and threat alerts, ideal for mobile command or patrol.
| Product | Role | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Node | Detect | ~$50 | Solar-powered, dual microphones. Deploys around a perimeter, operates autonomously, shares detections across the mesh. |
| Field Terminal | Command & comms | ~$100 | Handheld tactical display with touchscreen and extended-range antenna: real-time map with node positions and alerts, plus encrypted messaging and position-sharing between teams, independent of cellular or internet. |
For environments where adversaries may intercept, jam, or capture devices.
| Layer | Protection |
|---|---|
| Flash storage | Hardware-encrypted, keys burned into silicon |
| Device identity | Per-device cryptographic keypair; tracked in registry |
| Mesh messages | Encrypted with message authentication |
| Private keys | Hardware-isolated, cannot be read back |
| Technique | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Mesh re-routing | Alerts auto-route around jammed or destroyed nodes |
| Spread spectrum | Chirp modulation resists narrowband interference |
| Decentralized | No single point of failure |
| Passive detection | No RF emissions, invisible to scanners |
Working prototypes have been validated with operational data from active conflict zones and refined through continuous operator feedback. The full system (signal-processing pipeline, ML classification, mesh networking, hardware integration, dashboard, and encryption layer) has been designed and built end-to-end in-house.
Initial deployments focus on field validation in active conflict zones, with direct feedback from soldiers operating the system under real conditions.
Get system details, deployment guidance, or discuss a custom configuration with us.
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