RPX Technologies

RPX Technologies is a U.S.-based developer of ultra-low-SWaP thermal imaging cameras and cores for UAVs and unmanned systems. The company’s Blue UAS-ready and NDAA-compliant products offer groundbreaking imaging performance in an extremely compact and lightweight form factor, and are ideal for mission-critical applications in which weight, power consumption and installation space are highly constrained.

EmbIR Gen 3

Ultra-low-SWaP shutterless thermal camera for small UAVs

EmbIR Gen 3 is a compact uncooled thermal camera that has been purpose-built for UAV integration. With a form factor of approximately 20 mm cubed and weight starting at just 19 g, it can be seamlessly installed into small UAS and within compact gimbal payloads. It combines a 640 x 480 uncooled detector with a fully shutterless imaging architecture, providing VGA thermal video from an exceptionally small footprint

Power consumption of less than 1 W keeps the impact upon flight time and platform performance to a minimum. The camera offers enhanced 2x and 4x digital zoom and a 30 fps frame rate, and output can be delivered through USB 2.0 or serial.

EmbIR Gen 3 can be equipped with a variety of lenses to suit a wide range of thermal imaging requirements. RPX can also adapt the camera to different platforms and mission sets via custom focal lengths, interface options and mounting arrangements.

LightWeaver Thermal Core

Compact uncooled LWIR imaging technology

EmbIR Gen 3 is driven by RPX’s innovative LightWeaver thermal imaging technology. LightWeaver cores are based on uncooled focal plane array technology and are available in QVGA 320 x 240 and VGA 640 x 480 formats. The VGA core weighs just 3.0 g with a 17 x 17 x 6 mm, providing a compact foundation for ultra-low-SwaP UAV and UxV imaging payloads.

LightWeaver incorporates fully shutterless nonuniformity correction and can produce raw, grayscale or color output. Digital USB 2.0 and analog NTSC interface options allow the imaging technology to be incorporated into different onboard video and control architectures.

Applications

• Drone Night Vision – EmbIR Gen 3 provides a lightweight thermal imaging channel for small UAVs operating at night, delivering 640 x 480 imagery without requiring a cooled detector or mechanical shutter.
• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance – The camera is ideal for incorporation into UAV ISR payloads, capturing thermal imagery from the air at all times of day or night and through smoke, haze and fog. Its 19 g starting weight and compact form factor make it suitable for small tactical multirotor and hand-launched UAS with limited payload capacity.
• Target Acquisition – EmbIR Gen 3 can provide thermal video for UAV target acquisition payloads. Enhanced 2x and 4x digital zoom provides additional magnification of the thermal scene within the camera output.