Acoustic drone detection system FENEK being tested in Ukraine

Ukrainian manufacturer has developed the acoustic drone detection system FENEK, designed for operational use by mobile units and for the stationary protection of facilities. A representative of the developer company outlined the system’s capabilities during the Brave1 Connect event, Militarnyi reports.

FENEK is based on a network of seven microphones: six are arranged in a circle across two rows, with a seventh positioned at the central upper point. The system determines vertical and horizontal angles to the sound source by measuring the time difference between signals received by each microphone. This enables accurate determination of the sound’s direction, even with a single device.

For mobile fire groups, one mast-mounted unit is sufficient: such a device can determine azimuth with an accuracy of up to two degrees — a figure the developers describe as impressive for an acoustic system. For facility protection, a configuration of three or more devices allows for triangulation and accurate coordinate calculation of the target.

The system supports two triangulation modes: dynamic — for tracking continuous sources of sound, and pulse — for detecting brief, loud events such as explosions or gunfire.

A key feature of FENEK is its proprietary mathematical model for processing acoustic signals, which the company identifies as its primary innovation. A dedicated team of engineers and programmers is responsible for developing the algorithms.

In addition, the developers are compiling a database of acoustic signatures from devices already deployed in the field. This database will be used to train an artificial intelligence system to automatically classify detected targets.

It is also worth noting that another project focused on acoustic target detection — Zvook — previously received $100,000 in funding from Google for Startups.