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Digital Low-Light CMOS Camera
Application Note NOCTURN Camera: Ideally Suited for UAV/UAS Imaging
PHOTONIS Digital Imaging, LLC. 6170 Research Road | Suite 208 Frisco, TX USA 75033 T: +1 (469) 713-6108 F: +1 (469) 713-2880 www.photonis.com
Nocturn Camera: Ideally Suited for UAV/UAS Imaging Within the last decade, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and more recently, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has grown exponentially. These systems have taken advantage of significant technological advancements in communications, navigation and imaging improvements to expand their contributions to modern armies. Today, UAV/UAS are deployed for any number of support missions: reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, target identification and search and rescue.
support long‐range identification in both day and night conditions. The Nocturn camera is capable of producing SXGA resolution (1280 x 1024) at <4e‐ read noise making it capable of long‐range imagery under bright starlight conditions (light level 3). Weighing less than 85 grams, measuring under 37mm3, and typically using less than 1.8 watts, Nocturn offers a wide range of video outputs and connectivity options in a compact package ideally suited for UAV/UAS applications.
The small and lightweight form factor of UAV/UAS units can be both beneficial and burdensome. Small units are easily flown undetected and can be manufactured for significantly less cost than a fully equipped military airplane. However, the smaller the unit, the more compact the on‐board systems for communication, navigation and imaging need to be. Systems chosen for use in UAV/UAS need to be optimized for size, weight and power (SWaP), capable of performing under a wide range of environmental conditions, and be as versatile a solution as possible to support the wide range of missions required of such aircraft.
The Nocturn is powered by the digital solid‐state Lynx CMOS sensor technology, using large 9.7 x 9.7µm pixels to provide a QE of >60% at 600nm. Nocturn provides good response across a wide spectral range, allowing for identification of NIR illuminators often associated with the security systems surrounding targets of interest. (Figure 1)
A critical element to UAV/UAS missions is high resolution imaging. High quality photos and videos provide valuable information on the location or movement of assets, topography, and precise target identification. However, many of the high resolution imaging systems on the market today are not well‐ suited to support missions flown at night as their low light response is poor. Some UAV/UAS units are equipped with a secondary thermal system to supplicant daytime cameras, but subtle differences in heat signatures can be difficult to distinguish at long distances. The use of two cameras within a single UAV/UAS also takes up more space and consumes more power than a single solution.
Figure 1: QE curve for Nocturn Camera using Lynx CMOS Sensor The Nocturn camera also offers up to 8X digital zoom capabilities for closer inspection of targets of interest and certain models can be purchased in monochrome or color versions.
PHOTONIS has introduced Nocturn, a true day‐ through‐night CMOS imaging camera, optimized for SWaP requirements of today’s mobile armies and missions. Nocturn is a single‐camera solution to
In a comparison to competitive low light CCD and CMOS cameras, Nocturn showed a significantly
© 2014 PHOTONIS Digital Imaging, LLC. All rights reserved.
The low light imaging capabilities of the Nocturn camera provide reconnaissance and surveillance teams with much more detail than from a thermal low light solution. Thermal technology is not capable of observing through windows, nor can it detect a threat with a cold heat signature, such as a truck filled with explosives that has been sitting unattended for several days. And while thermal technology may be able to detect an object such as a car, it will not provide enough detail to clearly see identifying markings such as the color of the vehicle, a marker plate, or a company name on the outside. (See Figure 3).
longer range with 70% chance of identification than comparative technologies. (Figure 2.)
Figure 2 Incidence of Identification of Target
Figure 3: Actual UAV images comparing Nocturn (Left Images) to Thermal technology. Images courtesy of Novadem. © 2014 PHOTONIS Digital Imaging, LLC. All rights reserved.
About Nocturn:
Cameras that promise low light vision find that high quality imagery is difficult to achieve. This is because most are unable to achieve a high enough signal‐to‐ noise ratio (SNR) to be able to clearly identify targets or threats. In many cameras, SNR can be increased by increasing the integration time (slower frame rates), or averaging multiple frames. While this may result in an improved still image, these cameras provide poor imagery when tracking moving objects and thus not practical for use in moving UAV/UAS. PHOTONIS has optimized Nocturn to achieve a high SNR for superior images at long‐range at full frame rates.
Nocturn is the first day‐through‐night single‐camera solution capable of true low‐light imaging. PHOTONIS’ expertise in image intensifiers for low light detection has been applied to the CMOS technology in Nocturn to minimize signal noise while collecting and amplifying photons as economically as possible. The compact size and low power consumption of Nocturn make it ideal for a wide variety of applications, including long range surveillance, mobile imaging, man‐portable, rifle scopes and more. It is offered in several models that provide a wide range of video output and connectivity options. For more information about the Nocturn camera family, including videos, applications and specifications, please visit us on the web at:
Nocturn is equipped with a rolling shutter capable of 100 frames per second. At this high frame rate, Nocturn can mitigate much of the distortion seen in competitive technologies when flying at a high rate of speed. Nocturn still provides full SXGA resolution and <4e‐ even at its highest frame rates, with only a minimal increase in power consumption (2.25W compared to 1.8W typical). (Figure 4).
www.nocturncamera.com About PHOTONIS Technologies: PHOTONIS is a high‐technology manufacturer, specializing in the detection and amplification of electrons, ions and photons for defense, science, and physics applications and instruments. We are the world’s largest provider of Image Intensifier Tubes to global markets. Our expertise in optimizing analog technologies has led us to create a series of digital low light solutions. For more information, visit:
www.photonis.com
Figure 4: Long Range Image from Nocturn.
PHOTONIS offers Nocturn in a variety of models, allowing for custom system integration with other digital technologies, or as a plug‐and‐play device. This allows users to choose the options, configuration, and connectivity that are ideal for any UAV/UAS application.
© 2014 PHOTONIS Digital Imaging, LLC. All rights reserved.
