Small quadrotor UAS gets high-res IR sensor upgrade from maker Lockheed Martin
NewsMay 01, 2018
XPONENTIAL 2018--DENVER. Lockheed Martin announced at the AUVSI/Xponential show that it has upgraded its Indago 3 -- a small quadrotor unmanned aerial system (UAS) -- with high-resolution infrared sensors capable of day or night operations.
Indago’s infrared (IR) system, which it calls Noctis, consists of dual FLIR infrared cameras that provide real-time streaming video and still imagery. The Noctis IR uses wide and narrow fields of view with a digital zoom field of view from 32 degrees to 2 degrees, while its vision processing provides feature tracking of objects, which the company says will reduce operator workload. Noctis is offered in two variants: laser-equipped or non-laser-equipped.
According to information provided by Lockheed Martin, the Indago 3 weighs under five pounds and can be airborne in less than three minutes; in addition, it gives off a low acoustic and visual signature during startup and flight, while its haze grey color minimizes visual detection during missions. Depending on its payload, the small UAS can fly up to 50 minutes at a cruise speed of 25 mph and can operate at temperatures between 30 degrees below zero up to 120 degrees F.
“Providing an infrared capability for Indago further enhances the uses for this small but powerful system,” said Rich Bonnett, Indago program manager with Lockheed Martin C4ISR systems. “With its endurance and quick deployment ability, Indago can be used for tasks ranging from surveillance to supporting firefighting operations to search and rescue.”
