The OpenAthena™ Desktop software from Theta Informatics LLC introduces a novel terrain-raycast technique which allows you to instantly obtain the ground geolocation of any single pixel from a single drone image from your regular off-the-shelf drone.
It significantly enhances the capabilities of your existing drones for time-sensitive situational awareness missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, fire and emergency response, public safety, disaster recovery, environmental monitoring, and defense (for U.S. market only). It uses just the cameras, sensors, and metadata that your drone already has onboard, requiring no additional hardware.
OpenAthena Desktop’s novel terrain-raycast technique removes the need for expensive laser-rangefinder (LRF) hardware onboard drones, performing the same function instead with a software-only passive ranging technique. OpenAthena’s unique terrain-raycast algorithm combines digital elevation model (DEM) terrain data with drone camera position, orientation, and optics modeling data to instantly obtain the ground coordinates for any single pixel from a single drone image frame.
By removing the need for a laser rangefinder onboard drones to range and geolocate ground objects, it significantly reduces drone sensor payload SWAP and cost, saving you at least $20,000 per drone while retaining the same geo-pointing capabilities. Unlike laser-rangefinder (LRF) hardware, it can instantly geolocate objects anywhere within a single drone image.
OpenAthena Desktop makes post-flight image analysis much easier and faster: Compared to existing photogrammetry (image-stitching) software, it provides results instantly instead of needing hundreds of images and least 20-30 minutes of post-processing time.
OpenAthena Desktop natively supports the Cursor on Target (CoT) network protocol for sending position location information (PLI) output to your teammates using platforms such as the Team Awareness Kit (TAK) software for situational awareness and common operating picture:
OpenAthena Desktop can send CoT messages to other TAK devices and servers over UDP multicast, TCP unicast, encrypted TCP/SSL or any combination thereof. It can be configured easily for any deployment scenario or network architecture to accommodate your mission:
OpenAthena Desktop can automatically download terrain data as needed while an internet connection is available.
Terrain data can optionally be pre-downloaded to support entirely offline operation. A bulk terrain download function is available which can download coverage for large regions with a single operation.
Typical disk storage requirements are between 5-35 KB per km^2 of coverage area (depending on the type and resolution of dataset used). This small file size of DEM data makes it easy to store terrain data of large regions for offline operation even under conditions of Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Low-bandwidth (DDIL) network connectivity.
Whenever a new drone image is loaded into OpenAthena Desktop, it automatically selects and loads the best available file in the offline DEM cache folder. If no file with coverage is available, it downloads one on-the-fly for the surrounding area in approximately 10 seconds (if an internet connection is available)
Additional screenshots:
OA Desktop U.S. and CIV Variants:
OpenAthena™ Desktop is available in two variants named OpenAthena Desktop U.S. and OpenAthena Desktop CIV.
The primary difference between these two variants is the list of Cursor on Target (CoT) entity types included in the software and selectable by the user for network messages output to TAK.
OpenAthena Desktop U.S. contains a full list of valid CoT entity types, including civilian, dual-use, and military-specific entity types (e.g. Tank, APC, etc.). Theta authorizes OpenAthena Desktop U.S. only for use or transport within the United States and only by U.S. Persons (defined in 22 C.F.R. 120.62, as amended).
By contrast, OpenAthena Desktop CIV contains only a subset of the full CoT entity type list, including only civilian and dual use object types (e.g. person, vehicle, boat, locomotive, etc.).
Theta recommends the OpenAthena Desktop CIV variant for most customers. Theta authorizes OpenAthena Desktop CIV for use in the United States and abroad, except by restricted parties and, outside the United States, for foreign military end users or military end uses.
OpenAthena Desktop (U.S. and CIV) features:
- Instant (< 8 ms) calculation of ground target coordinates without needing a laser-rangefinder
- Ability to locate targets from any off-center pixel within a drone camera’s visual field
- Out-of-the-box compatibility with over 60 drone camera makes and models (both color and IR) made by Skydio, Parrot, Teal, DJI, and Autel Robotics
- Simple calibration procedure available to add support for additional drone models
- Can automatically download terrain-data while an internet connection is present. Automatically manages and selects terrain data files when operating offline
- Bulk terrain data download feature allows large areas to be downloaded for later use offline. Terrain data files only require between 5-35 KB of storage per km^2 of operating area.
- Automatic conversion between multiple coordinate reference systems to combine drone telemetry with high resolution terrain data from specialized datasets
- Supports military DTED Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in addition to civilian GeoTIFF file format for terrain data
- Supports specialized digital terrain model (DTM) datasets which model bare terrain in the absence of trees or buildings for enhanced targeting accuracy.
- Automatic selection of best DTM dataset for the operating area including native support for USGS 3DEP, EU_DTM, and GEDTM. Additional dataset types (including DSM data such as SRTM, DTED, or COP30) can also be selected manually
- Optional MARITIME calculation mode automatically transitions from using DEM data (while over land or near shore) to just mean sea level as the raycast intersection plane (when operating far from shore).
- Supports recording multiple position location information entries and details to a KML file, allowing easy export to QGIS, ArcGIS, or other software
- Zero-trust encrypted Cursor on Target output, allowing secure integration with local or remote TAK servers
- Complete Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) created fully from source code with no 3rd-party binary blobs. Ensures the security and integrity of the software and facilitates easy approval for interim approval to test (IATT) and Rapid ATO
Unsupported Drone Models
Certain drone models do not provide enough information in the EXIF and XMP metadata of their images, making them incompatible with OpenAthena. Known incompatible drone models include:
DJI:
DJI Mavic Air, DJI Mavic Air 2, DJI Mavic Air 2S, DJI Phantom 4 (non Pro variants), DJI Phantom 2 Vision, DJI Mini, DJI Mini 2, DJI Mini 3 (non Pro variant), DJI Mini 4k, DJI Spark, DJI Neo
Autel Robotics:
Autel EVO Lite 640T (Color camera works, IR doesn’t), Dragonfish, Dragonfish Lite, Dragonfish Pro
Supported Drone Models
All variants of OpenAthena Desktop contain a database of camera calibration values for each particular make+model of drone.
OpenAthena relies on camera calibration values for each drone model to be able to accurately calculate the location of any non-center pixel within the camera’s field of view. This database is stored in a file named droneModels.json, which is updated continuously by Theta Informatics as new drone models are released.
The most up to date version of the file, including a full list of supported drone models for OpenAthena Desktop, is available via the link below:
https://github.com/Theta-Limited/DroneModels/blob/main/droneModels.json
You are strongly encouraged to check if your drone model is present in the list above before purchasing OpenAthena Desktop.
If your drone model is not yet in the supported list above, Theta can assist you with a procedure to take a few dozen images of a calibration pattern with your drone’s camera and send them to Theta. Theta can calculate the necessary calibration values from your images and add them to droneModels.json.
Theta typically offers to ship a print of the calibration pattern poster to your location at no cost to you if you are willing to contribute calibration images from your drone.
If you are interested in helping Theta add support for your drone model, email support@theta.limited to get started. The full procedure and tool are also available via the link below:
https://github.com/Theta-Limited/camera-calibration
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OpenAthena™ Desktop CIV:
OpenAthena™ Desktop U.S.:
Final delivery of OpenAthena Desktop U.S. or CIV are contingent upon your provision of additional information to Theta, Theta’s ITAR/EAR compliance review, and your execution of Theta’s Retail Software License Agreement. Uncompleted sales will be refunded by Theta.
One annual license covers one computer at a time unless the Order states otherwise.
If the Purchaser is an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government, Theta’s Retail Software License Agreement for OpenAthena Desktop applies only to the extent consistent with federal law and its terms do not require the Government to act beyond its legal authority.
OpenAthena Desktop U.S. and CIV are offered by default as a subscription license with a 1 year license period renewed annually unless cancelled. Some purchasing departments and government agencies are unable to purchase license subscriptions or Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. If this situation applies to your purchasing department, please contact sales@theta.limited