Wescam Is Taking Full Motion Video To New Levels of Quality

Ainonline.com (that’s Aviation International News) reports that airborne full-motion video technology (FMV) is advancing so fast that the NATO standard (STANAG 4609) cannot keep pace, according to George DeCock, director of international EO/IR sensors, L-3 Wescam. The digital revolution has been closely followed by high-definition TV, uncooled infrared detectors, four-axis stabilization and processing and display innovations. In the meantime, the seemingly insatiable demand for FMV on every kind of platform–from small UAVs to helicopters to big transports–has attracted plenty of competitors offering sensor balls. But in terms of variety of products and customers, Wescam retains a leadership position. When that NATO STANAG was last revised in October 2009, it stated that the desirable goal of 1920- by 1080-pixel high-definition motion imagery was still five years away. In fact, it is already available. As DeCock noted, many of us have HD TV screens in our living rooms now. “The future is 1080p…you need only a two or four times zoom to get a great result,” he said. “Today’s HD sensors allow a precise count of illegal immigrants, and an ability to identify exactly who are their facilitators,” said Hugo Zeler of CAE Aviation. This Luxembourg-registered company, which has no connection to flight training group CAE, specializes in contract ISR flying for European agencies and governments, using Wescam turrets fitted to Casa 212s, Merlins, BN-2Ts and Cessna 208s. Zeler also praised advances in infrared sensors that, for instance, “now make it easy to detect oil spills.”

Read more at http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-07-08/wescam-taking-full-motion-video-new-levels-quality