A commercial off-the-shelf dual-camera imaging system has been selected for the Defense Department`s Joint Services Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle known as Outrider.
Kenneth Stringer, president of FLIR Systems Inc. of Portland, Ore., producer of the commercially available ULTRA 3000 system, calls the decision "the first time a fully commercial off-the-shelf dual-camera sensor has been selected for a UAV program."
The camera consists of a thermal imager with a third-generation staring focal plane array and a daylight color charge-coupled device television camera with a high magnification zoom lens.
In the UAV application, the sensor will be housed in a gimbal to gather reconnaissance and positioning data on potential ground targets from altitudes as high as 15,000 feet. The company began deliveries in July and is scheduled to deliver a total of 34 systems over the next year. The systems are 10 inches in diameter and weigh less than 40 pounds.
For more information, phone FLIR Systems at 503-684-3731, or fax 503-684-5452.
