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XTEND Earns $20M Contract to Develop Multi-Drone OS

XTEND XOS multi-drone operating system public safety defense military

XTEND, which develops the XOS human-guided autonomous operating system that aims to revolutionize human-to-machine interaction, announced it was awarded a $20 million contract by the Israel Ministry of Defense to develop and supply a multi-drone operating system.

The new joint project with MAFAT and the Israeli Ministry of Directorate of Defense Research & Development will see XOS enable the remote, safe and intuitive operation of dozens of human-guided semi-autonomous drones simultaneously, using the latest in virtual reality, edge processing and AI technology, the company said. XOS will allow the XTEND drones to be deployed remotely by military units in several scenarios precisely, intuitively, and immersively. The joint initiative aims to enable operators to control, interact and run third-party applications on the drones remotely in order to keep forces out of danger, while also fusing an operator’s expertise with machine autonomy, VR and AI.

“We’re witnessing a revolution on the modern battlefield,” said a source at the IDF. “Working with XTEND over the last three years, we have already been able to field systems that are now in daily use, and we are confident that this new program will provide a tremendous leap oin our operational capabilities.”

The new contract with the defense ministry is the latest in more than 20 major contracts secured by XTEND in the last three  years, including a multi-million-dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. This contract will enable U.S. military drone operators to interactively operate multiple smart machines from a remote, safe distance with minimal training.

XTEND said that XOS is easily programmable and configurable to suit different needs outside of defense. “Scalable, affordable, and infinitely flexible, XOS’s unique operating system allows humans to connect and interact with drones, robots, vehicles, smart devices and smart machines remotely, safely, and intuitively,” said Aviv Shapira, co-founder and CEO at XTEND. “[This lets] almost anyone control multiple remote machines simultaneously – using advanced VR technology on top of an AI layer. Alongside defense, XOS is providing a new way for public safety, inspection and homeland security professionals to interact with machines virtually in various civilian scenarios.”

For more details on the company and its technology, visit the XTEND website here.

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