Sep 8 2010
The Infrared sensor experts of the Nashua-based BAE Systems Electronic Solutions division are fabricating an advanced processor for the Arlington-based U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for deployment during night for continuous military surveillance system which utilizes complete infrared sensors for constant surveillance of war fields and urban zones from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The DARPA Information Processing Techniques Office relies on BAE Systems for fabricating the Airborne Processing Subsystem (APS) and high-performance infrared device subsystem for Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance-Infrared (ARGUS-IR) system by offering a $49.9 million award. The ARGUS-IR UAV constant surveillance tool will enable high-quality, nighttime video surveillance for identifying and tracing the incidents on the war fields and in civic zones employing UAVs. BAE has previously manufactured a daytime constant surveillance sensor system for DARPA.
The APS will maintain and process the imagery that have been traced by the infrared sensor and transmit 256 autonomous video streams with 640-by-480-pixel resolution range by means of a data link with 200-megabit-per-second capacity. The APS enables auto-downlink of the identified image chips and metadata. BAE Systems will be directing the initial flight trial experiments of the system by 2012.
Dr. John Antoniades, program manager of ARGUS and director of ISR technology, BAE System stated that ARGUS-IR will strengthen the military efficiency by contributing continuous, constant inspection over larger areas, than before. Dr Brian Leininger is the program manager for DARPA’s ARGUS-IR.
The ARGUS-IR's first version, Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS), was tested by BAE in October 2009 on board the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter of the U.S. Army to investigate the video windows of the device for continuous area observation and tracing foot soldiers and vehicles.
Source: http://www.baesystems.com