Israeli Reservist Develops Wearable Drone Detector to Protect Soldiers

As Israel continues to confront threats from their enemies, the battlefield has once again become a crucible of innovation. One standout example is SkyHoop, a breakthrough wearable drone detection system developed by Israeli reservist Zach Bergerson, designed to alert soldiers in real-time to incoming aerial threats.

Bergerson, 36, saw firsthand how IDF troops were relying solely on their eyes and ears to detect drones while operating in Gaza. Determined to enhance battlefield awareness and save lives, he used his background in high-tech to create a lightweight, smartphone-compatible system powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision.

“We needed a way to give soldiers immediate, reliable alerts without adding weight or complexity,” Bergerson said. The result is a mobile platform that can run on everything from phones to high-grade optics, with minimal hardware and no reliance on heavy infrastructure.

SkyHoop has already completed a pilot program in Ukraine and is under review for a potential trial with the U.S. Department of Defense. The technology’s simplicity and efficiency are drawing serious interest from Western defense circles, especially as modern warfare increasingly demands agile, soldier-tested solutions.

Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre, Israel’s defense-tech sector has experienced a boom. According to Startup Nation Central, over one-third of current defense startups emerged since the outbreak of war. With 20% of IDF reservists working in tech, the pipeline between combat insight and innovation has never been stronger.

American venture capital firms, once wary of defense-related investments, are now backing Israeli technologies like SkyHoop. Israeli investors have also begun championing these battlefield-born innovations, recognizing their potential beyond military applications.

SkyHoop is part of a new wave of technologies that are not just transforming warfare but offering life-saving tools that may one day be used in civilian settings, from emergency response to border security.

Born of necessity and sharpened by combat, SkyHoop reflects the best of Israeli ingenuity: courageous, practical, and driven by the need to protect life.

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