Electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) thermal imaging is utilised within drone and unmanned systems targeting and tracking systems, often developed for surveillance, security and defense applications.
EO/IR gimbal payloads are manufactured for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), drones and unmanned vehicles (including USVs and UGVs) as well as fixed-site installations.
Applications for EO/IR gimbals fitted to unmanned systems include; counter-drone measures, unmanned aerial and ground vehicle observation, surveillance and targeting, coastal and border patrol, and security.
EO/IR Sensors for UAVs
EO/IR sensors and camera systems are suited to a broad spectrum of unmanned aerial platforms, including VTOL multirotor UAVs, fixed-wing and hybrid UAVs, as well as tethered drones, aerostats and balloons. In addition they can be fitted to fixed site installations, unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and unmanned surface vehicles USV).
Miniature EO/IR Gimbals
Developed for short, medium and long-range aerial missions, EO/IR gimbal payloads for UAVs are designed to meet a variety of SWAP (Size Weight and Power) requirements. Often miniature EO/IR gimbals are engineered for specific mission types and conditions, for example daytime, night-time and tactical operations. Lightweight and easy to mount, they can be efficiently swapped out depending on drone and/or mission requirements.
EO/IR Gimbal Camera Systems
EO/IR gimbal camera systems can contain a variety of cameras and sensors, such as single and double Field of View (FOV) cameras, daytime and night-time sensors, thermal imaging cameras, CCD sensors, and various strength optical zoom cameras.
Complete EO/IR gimbal camera systems can also house high-definition video tracking, target tracking and image enhancement and processing capabilities. Multi sensor gimbal payload systems enable users to select a range of cameras and sensors unique to individual mission requirements and can be deployed onboard a broad selection of fixed-wing UAVs, unmanned helicopters, UGVs and USVs.
Gyro-Stabilised EO/IR Gimbals
Depending on the type and maximum payload capacity of the UAV or unmanned system, gyro-stabilized EO/IR gimbals can have 2, 3 or 4 axis:
- 2-axis gimbals – stabilize pitch and roll
- 3-axis payloads – stabilize yaw, pitch and roll
- 4-axis systems – stabilize yaw, pitch and roll, plus up and down motion
Gyro-stabilized EO gimbals can be fitted, alongside a variety of LWIR (longwave infrared), MWIR (medium wave infrared), SWIR (shortwave infrared) and NIR (Near infrared) thermal cameras.
Applications
Used for detection, recognition and identification of aerial, land-based and maritime targets, gyro stabilized EO/IR gimbals form a critical part of unmanned surveillance systems. Capable of real-time, short, medium and long-range detection, they are used for ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting and Reconnaissance), as well as counter-UAS and anti-drone defenses, and search and rescue operations.
EO/IR gimbal payloads, cameras and sensors are also used onboard industrial inspection drones, UAVs used for mapping, survey, aerial inspection and environmental monitoring.
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