Author: Techtime

IMI and Rafael target Light Weight APS Market

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In June 2018, Leonardo DRS and Rafael received a contract worth USD 193 million by U.S. Army to provide active protection systems (APS) for U.S. Army M1 main battle tanks. The TROPHY active protection systems will be installed in the Army’s new Abrams tanks. Developed by the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Trophy-HV is the only combat proven active protection system available today. The system is fully tested and qualified and forms an integral part of the IDF Merkava MK4 main battle tank and other platforms.

This win is a milestone in the evolution of the relatively new market of APS, and it may be followed by orders from NATO members. But now it seems the market is developing into new applications, for lighter armored vehicles such as Bradley and Stryker Infantry fighting vehicles, or  Oshkosh Defense Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).

Defeating Live Rockets and Missiles

Installing APS systems on smaller platforms demands major changes to reduce the system’s weight without compromising the performance. This week Leonardo DRS and Rafael announced a successful completion of the re-design and the introduction of  TROPHY Vehicle Protection System (VPS). They achieved up to 40% weight reduction and improved power management, with no reduction in its ability to protect against direct fire, anti-armor rocket and missile threats.

Integrated on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (photo above), the partners conducted an official tests in Israel that was monitored by officials from the US, NATO and other allied nations.  It included over 300 live scenarios (live rockets and missiles), bringing the total number of live tests of Trophy to over 4000 since the start of the program.  Threat defeat performance was well over 95%. During the next phase of the tests, Trophy VPS will be demonstrated in the US on the Stryker platform.

IMI's Iron Fist Light on board the Oshkosh Defense Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
IMI’s Iron Fist Light on board the Oshkosh Defense Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

Meanwhile, the main competitor of Rafael’s APS, IMI Systems from Ramat Hasharon, Israel, introduced its own version of lightweight APS, called Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IF-LD) during AUSA 2018 Exposition thus week. IMI installed its system on Oshkosh Defense Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The IF-LD APS is a hard-kill system that addresses a variety of threats such as short-range RPGs, anti-tank missiles, and more.

The IF-LD utilizes a blast interceptor for an effective and safe interception process. This results in the destruction of the threat without initiation its warhead while minimizing residual penetration. Due to its modular design which does not require penetrating the vehicle’s roof, the IF-LD provides an operational solution for all types of Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs)  from light armored vehicles up to MBTs.

IMI is in cooperation on its APS line General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) for the North American Markets. The Oshkosh JLTV delivers next-generation performance to serve ground forces missions, and will partly replace the Humvee in the US Army.

Humavox Appointed Avi Katz to Chairman

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Humavox from Kfar-saba, Israel appointed Dr. Avi Katz to be the Chairman of its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Katz is a serial entrepreneur and active high-tech angel investor. Today he is the CEO and Chairman of GigCapital, Inc. (NYSE: GIG). It is a Delaware based blank check corporation (known also as a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation or “SPAC”. The company was formed in October 2017 for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition or other activity, as soon as the appropriate opportunity is identified.

Dr. Katz’s previous endeavor was the successful launch of a bootstrapped company called GigOptix in 2007, and the transformation of the company to GigPeak, Inc. (NYSE GIG) through a public listing, substantial rollup of strategic M&A targets, and ultimately, the sale of the company for $250 million to Integrated Device Technology (IDT) in April 2017.

Founded in 2010, Humavox have developed a unique technology for wireless chrging. Is ETERNA platform uses near-field radio frequency (RF) technology, and provides users with a simple and intuitive charging experience (“drop & charge”). Unlike the traditional Inductive charging which requires big coils and exact positioning, ETERNA can be implemented in very small devices, such as hearables, wearables and IoT devices.

For more information: www.humavox.com

Sky and Space Global received EU grant for M2M via nano-satellites

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Sky and Space Global has been awarded a 1.25m Polish Zloti R&D grant by the EU to develop a concept for M2M devices and smart grids operated via the SAS nano-satellite constellation. The project includes collaboration with the Faculty of Electronics at the Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland. The goal is to disrupt the M2M and smart grid market by giving network operators in remote locations easier access to telecommunication connectivity.

Sky and Space Global is an ASX listed (SAS) with European and Israeli centers. It operates a communications infrastructure based on nano-satellite and software systems to control the satellites in orbit and to handle the global communication network in space, based on its fleet of nano-satellites. In June 2017 SAS successfully launched the first three nano-satellites, and is preparing for the launch of 200 more nano-satellites by 2020.

Sky and Space Global was founded in 2015 by three Israeli space experts: Meir Moalem, the company’s Managing Director and CEO; Meidad Pariente, CTO, and Yonatan Sharma, VP Business Development. The company’s operations are managed from Israel. So far, it has secured a number of binding MoU agreements with telco operators: Briskcom from Brazil, SkyX from Canada who remotely operates autonomous vehicles for its large number of clients.

SAS and Penteon will work together to explore how SAS’ connectivity platform can be incorporated into the projects currently underway by Penteon on industrial sensing solutions for locomotives, rail cars and track-side equipment, and a cooperation with Surge Telecom will explore the use of nano-satellite for wireless telecommunications services in Latin American and the Caribbean Region. A cooperation agreement with Unizen Technologies from India will explore the use of SAS proprietary terminals as a backhaul for cattle tracking service in Nigeria.

Meir Moalem, Sky and Space Global CEO,  said that the European R&D project will be done in cooperation with the electronics team at the Wroclaw University in Poland. “Research is the lifeblood of innovation.” He added that “2019 is going to be a transformational year for Sky and Space Global with the first Pearls set to launch and start delivering commercial services to our growing list of customers.”

Beckermus to produce optical modules for Medtronic

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The Giant medical technology, services and solutions Medtronic plc, will outsource unique optical modules production to the Israeli based Beckermus Technologies from Caesarea near Tel Aviv.  Techtime has learned that the decision was made following the acquisition of Visionsense earlier this year. Visionsense from Petach-Tikva, Israel, has developed a proprietary stereoscopic (3D) visualization solutions for minimally invasive surgery. The system is heavily based on miniature high performance sensors and optical modules made by Beckermus.

Visionsense solution employs a tiny 3D camera installed on a 4-millimeter endoscope that is inserted into the brain to deliver natural image and depth perception in real-time. This miniature single sensor is re-useable or disposable. Combined with sophisticated signal and image-processing algorithms, the sensor provides surgeons with real-time, high resolution stereo vision, to enable the use of new advanced MIS instrumentation.

Active Alignment machine in Beckermus clean room
Active Alignment machine in Beckermus clean room

When Medtronic closed the acquisition deal, it also made a profound survey of the technical capabilities needed to produce the system and came into a conclusion that it is best to leave things as they are, meaning to continue the production with Beckermus, but in large scale. The co-CEO of Beckermus Technologies, Oded Beckermus, told Techtime that the company made re-shaped its facilities to comply with Medtronic’s needs. “We have set up a dedicated warehouse for Medtronic and purchased new testing equipment to provide complete testing of each module before shipping, including the optical and the electrical tests. We also built a new logistics and supply chain infrastructure that is enabling us to give Medtronic a complete turnkey solution.”

The Visionsense electronics and optics module to be produced by Beckermus
The Visionsense electronics and optics module to be produced by Beckermus

Founded in 1998 by the Beckermus brothers, Oded and Oren, Beckermus Technologies expertise in production and assembly of micro-electronics and MEMS components as well as optical modules and parts. The company’s placement capacity reaches a precision of 0.5 microns (Die Attach). It currently employs 40 professional working in a 1,500 sqm clean room. Facilities include a 100, 1,000 and 10,000 class sectors. The production for Medtronic will be done in an ISO 5 cleanroom with less than 832 particles of up to 1 micron per cubic meter.

IC-SHINE GLOBAL Represent Insignis in Israel

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IC-SHINE GLOBAL from Herzlya, Israel, won a distribution agreement to memory solutions from Insignis Technology, Idaho, US. Insignis is a a fabless memory manufacturer focused on DRAM technologies for Industrial IoT, Autonomous Transportation and embedded applications. Founded in 2016, the company aims to provide stable delivery times and long-term storage availability through long term agreements with foundry suppliers, expertise in 30-60 nm processes.

It provides a broad portfolio of SDR, DDR, DDR2, DDR3/3L and LPDDR DRAMs, eMMCs and SSDs, mainly to customers who need small to medium quantities per year. The company’s memory products comply with Industrial standards, Corporate Computing standards and Automotive standards.

Its DRAM memories comply with JEDEC standards and are delivered to the customer after a rigorous testing process that includes durability in an industrial temperature range. Insignis also provides SDR, DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 components in BGA and TSOP packages.

The company’s memory modules are DIMM, SODIMM and also include tailor-made modules. They are manufactured from DRAM memories that meet industrial temperatures. The SSD solutions are manufactured in a variety of technologies, such as Multi Level Cell NAND, Pseudo Single Level Cell industrial configuration and include Power Loss Protection option.

For more information: http://insignis-tech.com

Contact: sales@ic-shine.com

IAI to build Space Drones for Maintenance Missions

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Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Effective Space  agreed on a technology and financial cooperation to bring new kind of maintenance satellites to space, in order to extend the service period of communication satellites by 15 years and more. The companies announced that they have signed a term sheet for cooperation, under which Effective Space will appoint IAI as the primary contractor of its Space Drone spacecraft, while IAI will work to complete the necessary approvals for equity investment in Effective Space. The term sheet follows more than a year of cooperation, during which both companies have been jointly working on the Space Drone spacecraft design.

Effective Space is developing a unique, small spacecraft called Space Drone to extend the life of satellites in orbit. It employs a unique and patented technology for rendezvous and docking to satellites in space. After docking with existing satellites in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit that are reaching the end of their normal life expectancy, Space Drone will provide the engines needed for attitude-control, relocation, de-orbiting, orbit and inclination correction, and thus to provide up to 15 years of overall life-extension service.

Effective Space’s first contract, signed in 2017 with an international satellite operator, will see two Space Drone spacecraft launched in 2020 to extend the life of two existing satellites, and is expected to generate revenues of more than US$100 million. “IAI is globally recognised as a leader in the development and construction of commercial satellite technologies, and in particular, those with high performance and a small form factor,” said Arie Halsband, Founder and CEO of Effective Space. “IAI’s intention to directly invest in Effective Space is a strong endorsement of our program and an indication of the potential return for investors from this new era of logistics in space and in-space robotics.”

Effective Space was founded in 2013 and has raised US$15 million from investment funds in previous rounds of financing.

D-ID Launched Anti-Face Recognition Product

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Photo above: Illustration to demonstrate Protected image vs Unprotected image

The surprising start-up company from Tel Aviv, D-ID, has officially announced its initial product at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2018 this week . The company has developed a solution that protects photos and videos of organizations from face recognition, while keeping them similar to the human eye. The company serves organizations that store photos and videos of employees, customers or citizens, amog them cloud storage providers, social networks, financial institutions, health management organizations and governments that want to protect their biometric databases.

The name D-ID originated from the professional term de-identification. D-ID’s first customer is Cloudinary, an image and video management solution which helps more than 350K companies manage, optimize and deliver more than 22B media assets. The company has also signed significant agreements with customers in the financial services and automotive industry.

“Our photos contain biometric data. Using them with face recognition, anyone can track you, hack your devices and steal your identity. That’s why our photos must be protected,” says Gil Perry, CEO and Co-Founder of D-ID. “We’ve moved too fast with face recognition and it is now a threat to our fundamental human right to privacy.” The face recognition market is growing exponentially. It’s increasingly used all around the world: To analyze shopping behavior, to authenticate payments, to access smartphones and even to rank citizens’ or track people in protests.

Faces are “sensitive information”

The company’s approach to digitally manipulating images renders images unreadable by the machine learning tools that are used to identify an individual, but are imperceptible to the human eye. “We use advanced image processing and deep learning to process the photo or video in such a way that it will look similar to the human eye but machines, AI, face recognition classifiers will not be able to recognize the individual,” says Perry. He also mentioned that the solution is constantly inspected by a special “red team” that launch attacks in order to break the protection and reveal weaknesses in its defense.

The issue of image protection draws a public interest. Data privacy regulations like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which became enforceable in May 2018, address face images as “personal sensitive information” and require companies to protects this data or risk heavy fines and lawsuits. “People are aware and concerned about the security risks of face recognition. Now is the time to protect this data and we are here to make sure it happens,” said Perry.

D-ID was founded in 2017 by CEO Gil Perry, COO Sella Blondheim and CTO Elira Kuta. The founders served in the Israeli Special Forces and intelligence unit 8200. They experienced first-hand the risks to privacy when, due to the sensitive nature of their roles, they were not allowed to share photos on social media. The company received Gartner’s Cool Vendor 2018 recognition. D-ID has raised $4mm led by Pitango Venture Capital with participation from Y Combinator, Maverick Ventures, Foundation Capital and Fenox Venture Capital.