With today’s technology, we can achieve vastly powerful sensors with decreases in size, weight and power consumption. As platforms get smaller, so to do the sensors that are capable of being paired with them. The commercial market has for years benefited from reducing the size of electronic components (Patterson & Brescia, 2008). One good example is a piece of technology that mostly all humans have come to rely on daily, called cell phones! The UAS industry is by far one of the newest users to take advantage of this miniaturization age! It has led to the ability to provide multiple sensor operations from a single Unmanned Aircraft System” (Patterson & Brescia, 2008). Commercial companies will continue to gain momentum towards miniaturization of existing technologies for UAS Sensor Payloads, highlighting that it is the sensors payloads themselves that will see the most advancement in the next 5-10 years.
Figure 1:
Smaller Sensor Payloads. Adapted from “Octopus ISR Reveals World’s Smalles
Four-Sensor MWIR Gimbal,” by Unmanned System Technologies, 2017, retrieved from
http://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/2017/05/octopus-isr-reveals-worlds-smallest-four-sensor-mwir-gimbal/
This year, Octopus ISR Systems lead the charge in designing
and developing the next-generation of gimbal payloads. What is unique about
this gimbal payload is that it is the world’s smallest, most capable sensor weighing
in at 5.7 pounds (Unmanned System Technology, 2017). It houses not only one,
but four different types of sensors. Additionally, the gimbal payload is gyro-stabilized
and can move about in a 3-axis configuration (Unmanned System Technology, 2017).
Its official name is the Epsilon 175 and it was invented for the UAS market
that weighs under 55 pounds (Unmanned System Technology, 2017). It undoubtedly unlocks
new capabilities for these UASs that are traditionally constrained by the size
and weight of previous four-sensor gimbal payloads. Its four sensors are
comprised of an electro-optical camera with 30x zoom, a medium wavelength
cameras capable 15x zoom, a laser range finder and a laser illuminator
(Unmanned Systems Technology, 2017). Truly an amazing package of technology
that could be employed for border control operations, even tactical military
uses and other civil applications (Unmanned System Technology, 2017).
References:
Patterson, M. C. L. & Brescia, A. (2008). Integrated
Sensor Systems for UAS. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a503447.pdf
Unmanned Systems Technology. (2017). Octopus ISR Reveals
World’s Smallest Four-Sensor MWIR Gimbal. Retrieved from http://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/2017/05/octopus-isr-reveals-worlds-smallest-four-sensor-mwir-gimbal/
Watts, A. C., Ambrosia, V. G., & Hinkley, E. A. (2012). Unmanned
Aircraft Systems in Remote Sensing and Scientific Research: Classification and
Considerations of Use. Retrieved from https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog892/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.geog892/files/images/lesson01/
remotesensing-04-01671.pdf
