CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Goodrich
Corporation (NYSE: GR) has introduced the smallest SWaP (size,
weight and power) shortwave infrared (SWIR) camera for unmanned
vehicles. The camera weighs less than four and a half ounces and
has a total volume of less than 4.9 cubic inches, making it
suitable to fit on board almost any unmanned aerial or ground
vehicle. Currently it is installed in the nosecone of a Raven
hand-launched unmanned aerial system (UAS).
The new camera, developed by Goodrich's ISR Systems team in
Princeton, N.J., features the
company's proprietary indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) technology
to see light wavelengths from 0.7 micrometers to 1.7 micrometers,
whereas traditional night vision cameras can detect wavelengths up
to roughly 1.0 micrometers. The Goodrich SWIR camera's expanded
capabilities allow the user to detect and track a wide range of
military lasers, day or night, with exceptional clarity.
The camera is installed on the Raven UAS with a 320x240
resolution long-wave infrared (LWIR) microbolometer. The camera
augments the microbolometer's thermal night imaging capabilities by
enabling visual verification of laser location and imaging during
thermal crossover – the hours of sunrise and sunset – when the
performance of traditional thermal imaging systems is degraded.
According to Martin Ettenberg,
director of business development for Goodrich's ISR Systems
Princeton team, "The Goodrich SWIR camera combined with the LWIR
microbolometer on the same platform allows 24-hour coverage from a
single unmanned aerial system. This provides warfighters new
capabilities and new concept of operations while meeting the
low-SWaP requirements of the modern battlefield. It also eases the
physical burden on warfighters by allowing them to carry a single
camera payload."
Goodrich will be showcasing its SWIR cameras for UAV
applications at AUVSI's Unmanned Systems North America show from
Aug. 24-27, 2010 at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo. Please stop by Goodrich's
booth #2215 for a demonstration.
Goodrich ISR Systems team in Princeton, N.J. (formerly Sensors Unlimited,
Inc.) has pioneered the design and production of NIR and SWIR
cameras and systems utilizing advanced indium gallium arsenide
(InGaAs) imaging technology for industrial, commercial, military,
agricultural, and scientific markets. For additional information on
InGaAs-based shortwave infrared imaging detectors, arrays, and
systems, please visit www.sensorsinc.com.
Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global
supplier of systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland
security markets. With one of the most strategically
diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves
a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and
service facilities. For more information, visit
www.goodrich.com.
Goodrich Corporation operates through its divisions and as a
parent company for its subsidiaries, one or more of which may be
referred to as "Goodrich Corporation" in this press
release.
GR - Electronic Systems
SOURCE Goodrich Corporation; GR - Electronic Systems