To address this need, the SAPIENT (Sensing for Asset Protection with Integrated Electronic Networked Technology) initiative has taken a significant leap forward with the introduction of the BSI Flex 335 v1.0:2023-07 SAPIENT network of autonomous sensors – Interface control document – Specification.
This eagerly awaited specification outlines the interfaces that facilitate harmonious interaction among SAPIENT sensor edge nodes, effector nodes, and fusion nodes.
This document provides the structure, format and content of the SAPIENT messages as well as guidance on how a Graphical User Interface (GUI) links to the output of any selected system. At the same time, it doesn’t specify specific sensors, nor does it specify implementation-specific parameters such as bearer technology and security solutions.
BSI Flex 335 v1.0:2023-07, in this first iteration, is available as a free download, and is intended for use by suppliers and developers of sensors and processing modules.
SAPIENT started out as a jointly funded project by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Innovate UK. In broad terms, it enables a lot of sensor data to be collected, analyzed, and acted upon in real-time, with the ultimate goal of improving situational awareness and decision-making in complex environments.
Less sophisticated systems will collect sensor data and feed it “raw” to an operator who must assess the information and then direct systems to respond accordingly, e.g. to move a remote camera to get a better angle on something. But monitoring and interpreting a lot of data in a short space of time places a high burden on operators.
In the SAPIENT system, advanced individual sensors use AI to make local autonomous detections and classifications that get sent to the command-and-control system – so processed information instead of raw data. Individual sensors can also make operating decisions autonomously, such as which direction to look or whether to zoom in.
These decisions depend on higher-level objectives managed by a fusion node which controls the overall system and takes some decisions otherwise made by operators, thus reducing their need to constantly monitor sensor output.
The key principles of SAPIENT are:
sensor modularity – sensors of different types using the same interface for communication
reduction in operator workload during monitoring activities
improved autonomy for decision making (automatic identification of threat activities to reduce false alarm rates, allowing for autonomous context driven decision making)
improved autonomy for sensor management
lower bandwidth requirements for network traffic.
The SAPIENT architecture is owned by Dstl, but it wanted to open the SAPIENT specification up to the private sector and chose the route of public standardization to do so, via the BSI Flex model.
BSI’s flexible standards – known as BSI Flex for short – are a dynamic new standards development model that generates consensus-based good practice at the same pace as fast-changing markets.
The beauty of Flex standards is that their scope and rate of evolution are market driven. They retain the capacity to iterate rapidly – new versions can be created in a matter of weeks – and they evolve in response to changing needs in a dynamic sector. They’re drafted through a process of open consultation and they focus on areas where consensus can be achieved quickly.
In turn, the standardization process has given more structure and formality to the original interfaces control document and, importantly, is publicizing it.
The ambition is that by making it freely available, it will greatly increase adoption of the interfaces and in turn new and diverse users will both benefit from their use, but also contribute to their continual development and new features.
If all goes to plan, BSI Flex 335 v1.0:2023-07 will be the first of two iterations of the specification published in 2023. It’s now over to users to download the specification, get value from its use and to feedback on their experience so that the specification is iteratively improved.
Add BSI Flex 335 v1.0:2023-07 to your collection today.