Taiwan's military has been developing asymmetric warfare strategies in recent years, with theNational Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) showcasing multiple unmanned vehicles at last year's defense exhibition. Recently, US-basedShield AI announced it has signed a contract with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology to jointly advance the research, verification, and deployment of AI flight control unmanned systems.
This collaboration will integrate Shield AI's Hivemind platform into NCSIST's intelligent unmanned systems, covering software development and practical deployment applications.U.S.-based defense technology company Shield AI has signed a contract with Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to collaborate on the development, verification, and deployment of AI-enabled unmanned flight control systems.
According to the company's announcement, the agreement involves integrating Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software into Taiwan-developed unmanned systems. The cooperation covers software development, system validation, and operational applications.
Under the contract, NCSIST will use the Hivemind platform to support development of domestically produced AI flight control systems for autonomous mission execution and coordinated multi-system operations. The system is intended to allow a single operator to monitor and manage multiple unmanned platforms from one ground control station.
The agreement includes use of Hivemind's software development kit (SDK) for integration into locally developed platforms. Shield AI will also provide integration support for demonstration and validation on NCSIST's unmanned systems. The systems are designed to support extended missions in environments where personnel availability may be limited.
Shield AI co-founder and President Brandon Tseng said the company has established an office in Taipei 101 and is recruiting local engineering talent. He said the cooperation with NCSIST is aimed at supporting the development of AI flight control systems capable of operating in environments where GPS signals or communications may be disrupted.
Hivemind is Shield AI's artificial intelligence software platform for autonomous systems. The software enables unmanned platforms to perform real-time path adjustments, avoid restricted airspace, navigate around obstacles, and respond to changing conditions without continuous human control.
The platform incorporates simulation-based training tools, AI development software, and onboard edge computing to support operations in GPS- or communications-denied environments.
NCSIST is Taiwan's primary defense research and development institution and is responsible for testing and integrating military technologies. The agreement provides a framework for applying autonomous software capabilities across different unmanned platforms and operational scenarios.
