Search

A series of UAS-capable multi-channel imagers have been developed under SBIR funding through NAVAIR. This paper discusses the application of these sensors to littoral observations/reconnaissance and littoral subsurface target detection. These imagers consist of a turreted multi-camera sensor head and an associated data acquisition and processing unit. A description of the sensor head, tailored for littoral operations, and the acquisition unit are given. Data collected off the coast of La Jolla, (north of San Diego) California over the last yearis used to demonstrate an environmental reconnaissance capability. The sensor systems are the EYEs series of sensors developed by Advanced Coherent Technologies, LLC (ACT). They integrate multiple 1.4 megapixel 12 bit charge-coupled devices (CCDs) into a commercial CloudCap TASE300©turret. Each CCD is coupled with filters and optics appropriate for specific operations. The acquisition and processing system is based on the Vision4ce CPU/GPU ruggedized computer system.

The Navy recently began investing in the design of mission-specific payloads for the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS). STUAS is a Tier II size UAS with a roughly 35 pound mission payload and a gimbaled general-purpose electro optical/infrared (EO/IR) system. The EO/IR system is likely composed of a video camera in the visible, a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and/or a long-wave infrared (LWIR) for night operations, and an infrared marker and laser range finder. Advanced Coherent Technologies, LLC (ACT), in a series of SBIR efforts, has developed a modular, multi-channel imaging system for deployment on airborne and UAV platforms. ACT's system, called EYE5, demonstrates how an EO/IR system combined with an on-board, real-time processor can be tailored for specific applications to produce real-time actionable data. The EYE5 sensor head and modular real-time processor descriptions are presented in this work. Examples of the system's abilities in various Navy-relevant applications are reviewed.