Imperx awarded contract to provide high-resolution digital sensor suite
AUGUST 9--Imperx Inc. (Boca Raton, FL; www.imperx.com), a provider of digital cameras and frame grabbers, has been contracted to provide a complete imaging system for a new UAV program. The contract was awarded to Imperx jointly by the Office of Naval Research and the NAVSEA Advanced Visualization Office.
The system consists of Imperx' MDC-2048C high-speed, digital megapixel camera, the FrameLink mobile frame grabber, and software. The MDC-2048C is a 2048 x 2048-pixel, 12-bit, color CCD based camera operating at 15 frames/s that includes an auto-iris capability. The FrameLink is a high-performance Camera Link frame grabber daughtercard.
The software suite includes both airborne and ground-station components. The airborne software processes the imagery from the camera, acquires GPS and other metadata from an onboard navigation computer, performs JPEG2000 encoding and transmits the resultant image frames to the ground station via an RF link. The ground-station software provides a real-time display of the received images and metadata and includes a history window with TIVO like controls. It also provides a remote camera-control utility allowing the ground-station operator to configure the camera's operating parameters 'on the fly.'
The system was designed to operate within the payload compartment of an Aerosonde UAV but can be modified to fit into other platforms, as well. The system is currently undergoing field trials at NAVSEA Carderock and is scheduled for deployment in Iraq. It will be used to search for roadside munitions along convoy routes in advance of coalition troops.
