We’re welcoming software and hardware solutions at Garage48 Defence for Ukraine. You’re welcome to submit any defence-related idea that’s targeted towards helping Ukraine defend their country. To help guide you, we’ve gathered input from companies and individuals currently working in or with the Ukrainian defence sector.

When coming up with an idea, we encourage you to also think about how to ensure deployment in Ukraine.     

📌 For software solutions, Wayren is offering an opportunity to integrate prototypes with their communication platform that digitises units on the battlefield in a safe and reliable way. Their platform creates a scalable tactical network from soldier to headquarters using widely available equipment and is easily interfaced with tactical systems. To be able to do so, they will provide an API with examples and an option to test integrations during the event. Additionally, they recommend implementing the application user interface using the freely available TAK application. Their mentors will be there onsite to help you.

These are the biggest challenges that need to be addressed:

🚁 UAVs

Currently, the biggest challenge related to UAVs is their short lifespan. On average, a drone’s lifespan on the battlefield is just three flights due to jamming communications and/or navigation. How could we make them more efficient?

Some vital topic areas you could focus on:

Communication
Commercial drones usually operate in 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz, which are easily interrupted by Russians. For example, solutions can include finding innovative ways to integrate Open.HD, multi-frequency or creating a mesh to share communications between drones.

GPS free navigation

When a drone’s communications are jammed, they usually hover in one place until its battery dies. We need a better drone rescue system to help it get out of the affected area, for example using an inertia system or machine vision. Current solutions use a compass to guide it back towards the pilot, but these are still inaccurate, easily affected by weather and it’s difficult to know how far it has flown.

3D printing / mass production
3D printing is already used to print drone parts. Most printers use PLA, but there are already plenty of efficient metal printers also available. How could we use existing technology to make 3D-printed drones more efficient and how could we expand the tech to other defence sectors and/or increase the capacity to mass produce drones and other defence tech?

🗺 Logistics

Logistics is undoubtedly one of the most important challenges in any war situation. It’s vital to move supplies and people from point A to B in the fastest and safest way possible despite rapid changes/developments. This can either make or break plans.

Some areas of logistics that require solutions:
Battlefield needs
Needs on the battlefield can change in seconds, requiring fast assistance or additional supplies. How can we supply battlefronts with food, water, ammunition, people etc efficiently without being detected? Or vice versa - for example, how can injured people be transported to a medical point as swiftly as possible? Additionally, you can think about tech solutions that help identify needs on the battlefront without the need for someone to radio back.

Nighttime logistics
When moving at night, vehicles cannot use their lights as this will easily give away their position. We’re looking for different solutions that connect cars driving in a column at night, so they could communicate parking, braking, navigation and manoeuvring needs without having to use their lights to do so.  

Repurposing vehicles
Civilian cars, vans and other vehicles are actively repurposed for battle needs. Many of these come from volunteers in other countries. While they may be painted in camouflage, they often lack special gear to make them bulletproof and suitable for rocky terrains. What are simple yet effective solutions to make these vehicles last longer?

Connectivity
It’s immensely important that information moves fast, to the right people in the right format. The internet, phones and radios are great tools, but how to connect with the network without revealing your location? Currently, encryption is used but think of innovative ways that make staying connected easier while still keeping sensitive info secret.

🏘 Critical Infrastructure

We hear about attacks on critical infrastructure, especially power grids too often. For the aggressor, energy grids, network towers, transportation hubs, emergency/medical services etc are easy targets. Attacking even one affects entire regions of people. Let’s take away their opportunity to do so.

The main sub-topics that you could work on are:

Energy resilience

How can we ensure energy to keep base stations covered and operations running at all times? Think of ad hoc distribution schemes and alternatives to generators that can increase energy resilience at all times.

Defence

Air defence is the most effective way to protect current infrastructure. Is there something that could be improved here or a different way of defending these attacks?

Rebuilding

If the critical infrastructure has been hit, how can we get them working again as fast as possible? Perhaps some AI or other tech solutions can be deployed to rebuild where people can’t reach.

🪖 Trenches

Every time troops move to a new location, new trenches have to be dug. This is done manually, which takes a lot of time and effort, especially in winter when the ground is frozen. We welcome solutions that help soldiers dig troops - this can be either using robotics or developing tools that could make this easier.

👤  Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)

IFF systems are already very advanced and accurately tag friendly and hostile bodies. However, solutions for nighttime warfare as still a challenge. In the darkness, we mostly rely on infrared cameras, tags and flags, which aren’t always easy to identify in more difficult weather conditions. Innovative solutions in this field are more than welcome - both from a software and hardware perspective.

🚑 Medical Solutions

When submitting an idea related to the medical industry, keep in mind that the industry is understandably highly regulated and the road to market is extremely long. Nevertheless, it’s an important topic and areas that you could focus on are:

Sensors
After trauma, vitals need to be measured frequently and these are reported manually in medical records. (Semi-)autonomous sensors are more than welcome that could measure a person’s body temperature, blood pressure, respiration rate and other vitals. You can also think about how to integrate sensors into a digital logbook.

Field hospitals
Innovative solutions for pop-up field hospitals have been transported to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. What else could be done to treat patients and give them better access to field hospitals?

Prewarming of intravenous fluids
Giving patients cold IV fluids can be deadly. We’re looking for tech and physical solutions that can quickly warm the substances or sensors to regulate the temperature.