Insitu tests Redkite wide-area sensor payload in bay of Integrator small tactical UAS

FAIRFAX, Va.Logos Technologies in Fairfax, Virginia, and Insitu, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company in Bingen, Washington, completed an initial flight test of the Redkite wide-area sensor aboard the Integrator small tactical unmanned aircraft system (STUAS).

The flight test, conducted this month in Boardman, Ore., marks the first time a wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) system has been carried in the internal payload bay of a small UAS.

“In the past, we’ve mounted podded versions of our lightweight WAMI systems to rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft,” says John Marion, president of Logos Technologies. “Now, thanks to further reductions in weight, we can easily fit a Redkite inside a tactical unmanned platform, as demonstrated with our recent flights on the Insitu Integrator.”

Despite its compact form, Redkite can image a city-sized area (over 12 square kilometers) at once — detecting, tracking, and recording all significant movers within the scene. It also stores up to eight hours of this geo-tagged mission data on onboard solid state drives (SSDs).

While the WAMI sensor is flying, multiple users on the ground can select real-time and/or historical video feeds within its coverage area and view them on desktop screens, tablets, and other mobile devices. Redkite can transmit up to 10 unique views to hundreds of users at one time.

“Insitu is pleased to collaborate with Logos to provide yet another way for our customers to get the critical information they need,” explains Pete Kunz, chief technology officer for Insitu. “Integrator with Redkite enables an even broader set of missions to aid the warfighter in a complex operational environment.”

The new sensor weight, less than 30 pounds, means Redkite can potentially be integrated with even smaller unmanned aircraft in the future, Marion says.

Founded in 1996, Logos Technologies LLC is a diversified science, engineering, and technology company specializing in the fields of advanced sensors, wide-area motion imagery, advanced analytics, and processing of large, multisource datasets. Logos serves government customers, including the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Department of Homeland Security, as well as a range of customers in commercial and international markets.

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