Feb 23rd, 2026
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm CT
Langford C 414 and Zoom
This is a hybrid event
Meeting ID: 97968779377
Passcode: 664428
Speaker: Rebekah Bogdanoff, Community Lead at Duality AI
Faculty Hosts: Jian Tao, PVFA/TAMIDS; Aaron Thibault, PVFA
Abstract: This talk will delve into the use case of synthetic data for a developing need in the defense sector: detection of drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). UAVs pose an increasing threat to military ground vehicles due to their precision strike capabilities, surveillance functions, and ability to engage in electronic warfare. Their agility, speed, and low visibility allow them to evade traditional defense systems, creating an urgent need for advanced AI-driven detection models that quickly and accurately identify UAV threats while minimizing false positives and negatives. Training effective deep-learning models typically requires extensive, diverse datasets, yet acquiring and annotating real-world UAV imagery is expensive, time-consuming, and often non-feasible, especially for imagery featuring relevant UAV models in appropriate military contexts. Synthetic data, generated via digital twin simulation, offers a viable approach to overcoming these limitations. This talk will present some of the work Duality AI is doing in conjunction with the Army’s Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) Advanced Capabilities Team, focusing on using synthetic data from high-fidelity digital twin simulations for UAV detection.
Biography: Rebekah is the Community Lead for Duality AI. Duality is an Aggie co-run company that uses digital twin simulation to solve real-world problems and create safe, predictable, and resilient smart solutions. Prior to this, she obtained an MS in Visualization, where she worked with the Oceanography Department to create an ocean chemistry educational video game and worked with Gearbox games to create graphics curriculum for the classroom. Her current role involves simulation creation for AI training and collaboration with schools, organizations, and online communities that are interested in working with the free EDU tier of Duality’s simulation software. She helps learners and educators engage with the simulation skills and techniques used by experts to bridge the sim2real gap.