New screening mannequin identifies drone parts earlier than they attain safe areas
Athena Safety has launched a brand new AI-powered X-ray detection mannequin designed to establish drone parts earlier than they are often assembled or introduced into restricted areas. The system responds to a rising variety of drone-related incidents world wide and goals to provide operators of important infrastructure extra time to behave earlier than threats emerge.
The corporate unveiled the Drone Protection Detection Mannequin as an extension of its AI Assisted X-ray screening suite. It’s designed to detect motors, propellers, electronics, battery packs, and different drone components hidden inside baggage, baggage, or cargo.
“At the moment’s drones are cheap, stealthy and scalable. Ready for an incident is now not a viable protection,” says Chris Ciabarra, Co-founder and CTO of Athena Safety. “Our objective is to provide important infrastructure operators an opportunity to cease threats earlier than they attain the safe perimeter—whether or not the menace arrives by backpack, cargo bay, or is assembled onsite.”
Rising Drone Exercise Raises Safety Issues
Drone exercise has elevated at a fast tempo lately. The corporate notes that main drone incidents worldwide have risen greater than 60 %. The FAA has reported a 25.6 % improve in unlawful drone incursions since 2024.
Conflicts overseas have highlighted how cheap drones can be utilized to wreck infrastructure or disrupt public companies. Each Russia and Ukraine have deployed low-cost drones to strike targets equivalent to rail traces, vitality methods, and logistics depots.
In October 2025, Russia launched greater than 300 drones and missiles at Ukraine’s vitality grid, inflicting outages throughout a number of areas.
Drone disturbances have additionally affected airports all through Europe. Munich Airport canceled 17 flights and halted journey for practically 3,000 passengers throughout a seven-hour shutdown after drone sightings in October 2025. Copenhagen Airport skilled an identical disruption the month earlier than, stopping all takeoffs and landings for practically 4 hours. One other incident close to Fuerteventura Airport in Spain triggered delays and flight diversions.
These occasions present how small, low-cost drones can create large-scale penalties for each civilian and army operations.
Detecting Drone Parts Earlier than They Grow to be a Menace
The brand new mannequin expands Athena Safety’s X-ray know-how past conventional weapons detection. The system makes use of machine studying to establish drone components—even when they’re disguised or packed inside different objects.
Many drone threats start earlier than the plane is assembled. In some previous instances, drone parts had been smuggled into restricted areas in small items and put collectively after safety checkpoints. Athena Safety states that related dangers might have an effect on U.S. airports, vitality amenities, and different important websites.
The corporate constructed the brand new mannequin after a shopper skilled a drone breach.
“One among our shoppers had a drone incident that compromised their airspace. They wanted a technique to detect small drones and their parts earlier than they turned a menace,” shares Ciabarra. “They understood the dangers and requested if we might assist—so we constructed it.”
Options of Athena Safety’s Drone Detection Mannequin
-
Excessive-fidelity characteristic recognition with the flexibility to establish even compact or disguised components
-
Low false-positive tuning to cut back pointless alarms
-
Integration with entry management methods that may set off alerts or safety responses
-
Scalable deployment for checkpoints, cargo entrances, perimeter gates, and unmanned stations
Assembly the Wants of Fashionable Safety Operators
As drones turn out to be extra widespread, danger expands for a lot of sectors. Border areas, ports, stadiums, knowledge facilities, logistics hubs, and different high-traffic websites face new challenges. Safety groups are transferring towards early detection reasonably than counting on reactive countermeasures.
Athena Safety views its new mannequin as a pure addition to present AI X-ray deployments. The corporate can also be in discussions with authorities companies and personal operators to start pilot applications.
As well as, Athena is exploring partnerships with counter-UAS firms, digital warfare suppliers, and safety integrators to construct layered protection methods that mix detection with interception and response.
About Athena Safety
Athena Safety develops AI-powered instruments for menace detection, together with weapons detection, customer administration, AI X-ray, telepresence, and good glasses applied sciences. Its merchandise defend amenities, individuals, and key belongings in private and non-private environments. The corporate is predicated in Austin, Texas, with places of work in San Francisco and Jacksonville.
Extra data is on the market at www.Athena-Safety.com.
Learn extra:
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the industrial drone area and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, Electronic mail Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
Subscribe to DroneLife right here.
