American Robotics, Infrared Cameras Partner for Oil and Gas Inspection
American Robotics, Infrared Cameras, Types of BVLOS flight American Robotics drone American robotics and railway inspection

Source: American Robotics

American Robotics Announces Partnership with Infrared Cameras Inc.

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by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

American Robotics announced the formation of a strategic technology partnership with thermal camera and infrared system developer Infrared Cameras Inc. (ICI).

American Robotics’ autonomous Scout System drone, with the integration of ICI’s optical gas imaging (OGI) and thermal sensors, will possess the necessary technology to automate the inspection of oil and gas assets and the detection of methane leaks.

“American Robotics continues to see some of the oil and gas industry’s largest companies focus on integrating autonomous drones into their operations to conduct regular site inspections and ensure employee safety,” said American Robotics co-founder and CEO Reese Mozer. “Through our strategic technology partnership with ICI, we continue to expand our product offerings with key features tailor made for the oil and gas industry, enabling customers to automate inspections of critical assets such as tanks, pipes and pumps. Importantly, the solutions being developed in connection with our ICI partnership are designed to meet specific customer requests.”

By incorporating ICI’s OGI and thermal sensors, the Scout System will be able to autonomously gather essential data and detect anomalies such as methane leaks and equipment and electrical hotspots. This integration will also allow customers to cut down on operational costs, reduce the chance of reputational risk and protect employees and the environment. This combined integration is currently targeted for a 2023 release.

“We are excited to partner with American Robotics to bring innovative solutions to the oil and gas industry,” said Infrared Cameras Inc. Founder and CEO Gary Strahan. “We believe that our state-of-the-art software and multi-sensor payloads combined with American Robotics’ leading drone solution, will greatly benefit clients across the oil and gas industry.”

Through its adoption of ICI’s thermal and optical gas imaging sensors, American Robotics is further positioning itself as the market-leading drone-in-a-box solution for the oil and gas sector. The company’s new partnership with ICI is poised to cause significant revenue growth within the oil and gas industry, where the drone market is expected to reach $23.9 billion by 2027.

Read more about American Robotics:

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.

Japan’s Night Hawks Fly Drone Search and Rescue Missions After Dark in Nishikawa
Japan’s Night Hawks Fly Drone Search and Rescue Missions After Dark in Nishikawa

Night Hawks search and rescueJapan’s Night Hawks search and rescue service are a drone team using infrared technology to perform missions at night.

Continue reading below, or listen:

The Night Hawks search and rescue team has signed an agreement with Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture Agreement to begin night-time, drone enabled search and rescue services for the town from May through November.

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.

The team demonstrated their solution to town managers and first responders in April. The Night Hawks use drone equipped with infrared photography equipment to assist in search and rescue.

Nishikawa Town spreads out at the foot of Mt. Gassan, one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.  Mt. Gassan is covered in forest, and is a major tourist attraction because of its magnificent scenery – and as a source of rare mountain vegetables and mushrooms.  From spring to autumn, both locals and tourists flock to the mountain for foraging, hiking, and other alpine sports.

During Japan’s storm season, however, or during the winter when the mountain experiences heavy snow, some climbers do get stranded.

“We want to create an environment where as many townspeople and tourists as possible can enjoy with peace of mind by preparing for accidents and injuries before the [typhoon] season,” said city officials.

The Night Hawks search and rescue team will provide a 24-hour service desk to respond to emergency requests by dispatching a fully equipped drone and pilot to coordinate with first responders.   The drone pilot will support first responders with infrared imaging and by providing drone lighting to help with rescue efforts.

“[The Night Hawks] will increase the number of lives that can be saved by one person – the purpose is to ensure the safety of people,” says the company director.

Read more about drones for search and rescue:

Since 2014, Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUIDA) has been facilitating & supporting the development of UAS/UAM in Japan, ranging from education, legislation, tradeshow, business matching up to international collaborations with the public and the private sectors. With more than 13,000 members & 250 accredited drone pilot schools, JUIDA continues to be a key player in Japan and overseas.

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Teledyne FLIR Introduces Neutrino SX12 ISR1200 MWIR Camera with Zoom Lens for Ground ISR – sUAS News – The Business of Drones

With a high-definition mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) camera and continuous zoom (CZ) optics, the Neutrino® Ground ISR series offers superior performance for integration with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems

Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, today introduced the Neutrino SX12 ISR1200, the first model in the new Neutrino Ground ISR series of high-performance, MWIR camera modules with integrated CZ optics. The HD MWIR system combines a Teledyne FLIR MWIR camera module and 120mm to 1,200mm CZ optics with industry-adopted imaging electronics from InVeo Designs LLC to provide a best-in-class ISR solution with low-switching-cost for defense and industrial integrators.

Based on Teledyne FLIR focal plane array (FPA) technology, near-diffraction-limited optics, and a long-life linear Stirling cooler with 25,000-hour MTTF, the Neutrino SX12 ISR1200 offers 1280×1024 resolution with 12µm pixel size. It also features dual-parallel outputs using a 60Hz Camera Link base with 1080P30 HD-SDI or 720P60 HD-SDI, ideal for tracking, turbulence mitigation, and artificial intelligence. The SX12 ISR1200 is a turnkey system that is ideal for integration with ground-based, long-range ISR, perimeter surveillance, border surveillance, and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS).

“The Neutrino Ground ISR series joins the Neutrino IS series of MWIR camera modules with integrated CZ optics, offering defense and industrial integrators shortened time-to-market and reduced project risk thanks to its familiar imaging components and off-the-shelf design and delivery,” said Dan Walker, vice president, product management, Teledyne FLIR. “All Neutrino series systems are classified under US Department of Commerce jurisdiction as EAR 6A003.b.4.a and are not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).”

The long focal length CZ lens was developed and is produced by the Teledyne FLIR team, formerly of New England Optical Systems (NEOS), which joined FLIR in 2019. The system provides autofocus, focus, and boresight retention through zoom, and it is factory optimized for each integrated system. The lens, the MWIR camera module, and imaging electronics are all designed and manufactured in the United States.

To learn more about the entire Neutrino family of MWIR camera modules, including the Neutrino SWaP, Neutrino Performance, Neutrino IS, and the latest Neutrino Ground ISR series

To view the entire Neutrino portfolio in person, please visit booth #1101 at the SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing Exhibition, April 3-7, 2022, in Orlando, Florida

About Teledyne FLIR
Teledyne FLIR, a Teledyne Technologies company, is a world leader in intelligent sensing solutions for defense and industrial applications with approximately 4,000 employees worldwide. Founded in 1978, the company creates advanced technologies to help professionals make better, faster decisions that save lives and livelihoods. For more information, please visit www.teledyneflir.com or follow @flir.

About Teledyne Technologies
Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne’s operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne’s website at www.teledyne.com