Sensors Unlimited, Inc., part of Goodrich Corporation, and Cloud Cap Technology, acquired by Goodrich Corporation in May, 2009, are teaming together to provide specialized imaging solutions for military, security and surveillance markets.

The combined companies, both part of Goodrich’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Systems group, are developing new micro-gimbal imaging systems that are based on Sensors’ expertise in shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging and Cloud Cap Technology’s leadership in autonomous avionics solutions for small unmanned UAVs and manned safety and surveillance tasks. Sensors Unlimited’s compact, lightweight (less than 90g) SU640KTSX InGaAs SWIR camera delivers full motion video at 640 x 512 pixel resolution (25 um pixel pitch) in the NIR/SWIR band (0.7 – 1.7 µm). The small camera configuration permits easy integration into Cloud Cap Technology’s family of micro-gimbals. This powerful aerial observation combination enables excellent visibility through many atmospheric obscurants like smoke, haze, and fog. The camera has been successfully integrated into Cloud Cap’s TASE, TASE Duo, and T2 stabilized micro-gimbals and delivered to multiple DoD customers. A TASE Duo implementation with SWIR and EO imagers was tested in flight over an active forest fire and video imagery from both cameras shows the SWIR imager locating the flames and the path of the fire which the smoke hides from the visible camera. To view the video, please visit http://www.sensorsinc.com/forest_fires.html. The slightly larger and higher performance T2 gimbal has been delivered with a Bi-FOV zoom lens on the SWIR camera, an EO video imager, and a SWIR illuminator.