M MILITARY SYSTEMS & Technology
Next Generation Low Light Camera Technology
Mark Donaghy, VP Sales & Marketing at Raptor Photonics
Raptor Photonics is a UK-based specialist camera company, developing ruggedized, SWaP enabled camera cores and systems for the surveillance and defence markets. Our customers are primes, government organisations (Government Labs other NATO customers) and systems integrators. Seeing in low light is desirable over a broad spectrum of environmental conditions. Raptor cameras are compact and rugged, operating in harsh climates. This is essential for customers who quite often put the cameras into “mission critical” applications, which run 24/7. Raptor now has cameras and systems being used underwater, on land, in the air and even in space—where Raptor cameras are used in low-orbit cube satellites for earth observation and 5G telecommunication networks.
Owl 1280 Vis-SWIR camera
SWIR Camera technology
SWIR and provide excellent illumination for low-light or nighttime imaging, including imaging though fog, haze and water vapors.
Raptor’s camera technology enables users to see subject matter in very low levels of light. Since its inception, Raptor has been a leading player in the design and development of SWIR cameras using InGaAs sensors. Many applications that are difficult to perform using visible light are made possible with SWIR imaging, enabling the user to “see beyond the visible.” Unlike mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and longwave infrared (LWIR) light, which is emitted from the object itself, SWIR is similar to visible light in that photons are reflected or absorbed by an object. The reflective nature of SWIR light provides the strong contrast needed for higher-resolution imaging. Ambient starlight and background radiance (nightglow) are natural emitters of www.militarysystems-tech.com
The cameras are capable of imaging from 600 nm to 1700 nm. Raptor’s family of InGaAs focal plane arrays offer different resolutions and pixel pitches along with cooling, readout and interface alternatives, providing a range of options for customers requiring visible and SWIR imaging. Low-noise electronics and readout integrated circuit (ROIC) design ensuring high quality images. Furthermore, Raptor is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard. 34
T. +44 (0) 1884 258019
E. sales@militarysystems-tech.com
