Peacekeeping and tech - Walter Dorn

Peacekeeping Technologies with hands-on demonstration

MIGS Professional Training Program on Prevention of Mass Atrocities

Dr. Walter DornCanadian Forces College &

Royal Military College of Canada

16 June 2015

“Concern for man himself and

his fate [humanity and its fate]

should be the chief interest of

all technical endeavors. Never

forget this in the midst of your

diagrams and equations.”

– Albert

Einstein

Humanity’s concern for humanity

Save lives and prevent suffering

UN: collective eyes and ears, legs and arms

Needed during and post-conflict

UN Peace Operations

Traditional peacekeeping

• The Human Eye ... sometimes aided by binoculars

Monitoring Mandates– Cease-fires

– Peace agreements

– Protected areas and persons (POC)

– Elections

– Human rights

– Sanctions

– Armed groups and spoilers (early warning)

– Resource exploitation

– Safety & security of UN personnel (dilemma)

“A MONITORING GAP”

Problems of Unaided Monitoring

Limited capabilities ...

– over large areas

– at night

– for underground detection

– in remote/difficult terrain

– information recording, analyzing, sharing

and storage

Monitoring Technology

• Increases range and accuracy of observation

• Permits continuous monitoring

• Increases effectiveness (including cost-effectiveness in some cases)

• Decreases intrusiveness

• Enhances safety of staff in field

• Provides recordings/evidence

UN experience

Commercial Trends

Amazing!

• Better, cheaper, smaller • Converging (one device / many functions)

– Smartphone: phone, messaging, GIS, internet, touchscreen, innovative apps; Two cameras/video, GPS (satellite)

– Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer (compass), multiple radios, barometer

• Versatile– Adaptable (time, space)

• Commercialized– Military to widespread civilian (COTS)– Even toys!

Monitoring Tech Demo

Dr. Walter Dorn, Maxwell Ng and Eric Woolven,

Demonstrable technologies

Demo TechnologiesAerial Observation• Aerostat

– Lecture demo– Altitude

• UAV• Elevated camera mount

– Mast/Monopod

Ground Sensor (attended/hands on)• Land Rover (remote controlled)• Laser Rangefinder

Ground Sensor (unattended)• Live Internet Webcams

– Conflict Zones (handout)

• Shatterproof Camera Dome• Motion-detector Illuminator

– Solar power

• IR Game Camera• Acoustic Monitors

Other• Action Camera• Gyroscope (stabilization)• Motion Tracking

– Facetrack

• Tracking – Smartphone (apps)

To Order• Radio multifunction• Solar chargerExtra• Webcam Software (Yawcam)• IR Breakbeam (no demo)• IP Camera (no computer needed)• Internet backup generator (Brick, wifi via

cell phone network, with battery and sensors)

Aerial Observation

First UN UAV – December 2013

Falco UAV from Selex ES (Italy) under contract to UNGoma, DRC

• Easy to fly

• iPad/iPhone/Android phone

control

• HD 720p at 30fps camera

• GPS and gyroscopic stabilization

• Up to 30 min flight time

~$300

Mini-UAV

Parrot Drone

• Weather balloon with nylon

cord (up to 400 ft)

• Helium provides battery-free

lift

• Simple design, easy to use

• High-altitude frame provides protection

• Analog or digital feed

• Time-lapse HD images

available$600

Aerostat

Action camera

• Sports, light (75 g), rugged

• Full HD, 1080p at 60fps

• 10 MP photos

• Photo every 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 30, 60 s

• F2.8 aperture

• Ultra-wide angle lens

• Software can remove fish-eye

$ 400GoPro Hero 3

• Holding (GoPro) cameras higher

• 0.502 m to 1.524 m (1.65 ft to 5 ft) in height

• Rubberized foot

• 350 g

$50

Mast / Monopod

GROUND SENSOR (ATTENDED/HANDS ON)

Reconnaissance Vehicles

• iPad controlled

• With touch screen

• With accelerometers

• Illuminators

• Orientable live camera

• Uses standard AA

batteries

• Records video

Price range: $100

Land Rover

Rover 2.0

• 5 to 550 m range

• 1 m accuracy

• 6x optical magnification

• Eye-safe IR beam

• Laser pointer possibility$300

Laser rangefinder

Nikon Aculon AL11

• Low-friction spinning disk

• No electricity

• 63 mm diameter

• 80 g, spinning up to 8000

rpm

• Provided as toy or scientific

• Housed in solid compartment$200

Image stabilizer: gyroscope

GROUND SENSORS (UNATTENDED)

• 3.0 MP resolution

• Motion activated

• Wildlife, trespassers

• Day/night

• 35 night LED illuminators

• 10 m nighttime range

• 0.3 s image after motion detected (1.5 s in sleepmode)

~$100

Infrared camera

TruthCam 35

Infrared camera (shots)

• Two audio channels

• Handle and clip for

portability

• 49 MHz signal

• 600 ft. range

• Vibration and visual sound

levels

• Low battery signalPrice range: $60

Acoustic (baby) monitors

Graco audio monitors

• Closed-circuit colour TV

• Shatter-resistant

• One-way dark or reflective

• Pan and tilt capabilities

• Small

• Deterant to vandals and

trespassersPrice range: $15–600

Dome camera

• LED Light

• 25 m motion-detection

• 1 or 5 min triggering

• Runs 2 hours on full charge

• Common for household security

~$50

Motion-activated solar light

• Hundreds of free feeds

• Cheap to setup, free to view

• Some remotely controlled by

viewer

• Sound and maps available

Price: Internet connection + Webcam ($100)

Webcams

Technology

Conclusions

1. No technological fix … but technology can be of immense value in monitoring, preventing and mitigating conflict.

2. Technical monitoring can increase the safety and security of peacekeepers as well as the effectiveness of the mission.

3. UN lacks the equipment, resources, preparation/training needed for

effective and efficient use of modernmonitoring technology

• some monitoring technologies in some missions but ad hoc and unsystematic– radars– NVE (Gen 2+)

• no thermal imagers, seismic or acoustic ground sensors

• platforms: recce vehicles and aircraft• absence of policies, doctrine, SOPs and

training materials• need to re-engage capable contributors

4. UN is capable of incorporating advanced technologies

• Communications and information technology

• Carlog• GIS progress

– Commercial satellite imagery

• Aerial recce in DRC

• Convergence– Technologies– Toys

• Miniaturization• Innovation• Robustness• Cheaper

5. COTS is advancing fast … to the rescue

• Many peacekeeping applications

• Panel on Technology and Innovation in UN Peacekeeping

• USG assistance• Need for technology contributing

countries

6. UN is making progress

IF THIS TECHNOLOGY-AIDED

PRESENTATION DIDN’T WORK …

FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID!

UN experience

AM

FM

HFVHFUHF

ShortwaveCell

phone

Visible0.4 μm 0.7 μm

IRUVX-Ray Microwave Radio

Hard

So

ft

Wi-Fi

Wavelength (m)

Frequency (Hz)

1021 1020 1019 1018 1017 1016 1015 1014 1013 1012 1011 1010 109 108 107 106

10-13 10-12 10-11 10-10 10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101 102 103

RadarNearIR

ThermalIR

-Rayɣ

HF

© W.Dorn

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

EXTRA SLIDES

From the Audience ….

• Social media …. – Una Hakika– IC diplomacy

• Structure fro motion

Applications and Issues

• Protection of civilians• Peace monitoring• Counter-IED

• Big Brother?– Privacy and control

Challenges

• Timeliness– Processing

• Accuracy• Manipulation• Info falls into wrong hands

Smart Phone (Samsung Galaxy S5)

• Camera – Still: 16 MP (5312x988 pixels, 1.2 μm/pixel), autofocus– Video: HD (2160p@30fps) – Front/read viewing, flash

• Sensors– Accelerometer– Barometer– Biometric: fingerprint reader; heart rate– Compass– Gesture– GPS– Gyro– Proximity– Light (auto screen brightness, RGB)

• Phone, Messaging, Email, Internet, Music• Touchscreen, voice commands• Wifi, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth, Tethering, S Beam, USB,

etc,• Apps

Apps World

• Voice recognition• Translation

Samsung S5 Sensors

• Heart Rate Sensor - Red LED shoots the light to the user’s skin. Then the pulse sensor measures the movement of the red blood cells of the capillaries, which is underneath the finger, according to the pulsation, to measure the heart rate by calculating the frequency of the wave per minute.

• http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=36031

• The Finger Scanner

Smart Phone (Samsung S4)• Camera

– Still: 8 MP (3264x2448 pixels)– Video: HD (1080p@30fps) – Front/read viewing, flash

• Sensors– Accelerometer– Barometer– Biometric: fingerprint reader, heart – Compass– GPS– Gyro– Proximity– Light (auto screen brightness, RGB)

• Phone, Messaging, Email, Internet, Music• Touchscreen, voice commands• Wifi, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth, Tethering, S

Beam, USB, etc,• Apps