Insitu and Overwatch Imaging, have successfully integrated a customized TK-5 Firewatch smart tactical mapping payload on the ScanEagle® UAS from Insitu.
The Firewatch-equipped ScanEagle will provide real-time fire line maps and wide-area, high-resolution imagery intelligence for wildfire management, disaster recovery, and other applications.
Integrated onto ScanEagle, the TK-5 Firewatch payload maps more than 50,000 acres per hour with resolution much greater than high-altitude or space-based multi-band imaging systems, and features ideal image data and onboard processing capability to enable faster identification and delivery of precision geospatial intelligence at large scale.
(Learn More about the capabilities of Insitu, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company which creates and supports unmanned systems and software technology that deliver end-to-end solutions for collecting, processing and understanding sensor data. Courtesy of Insitu and YouTube)
With this new integration, Firewatch will enable ScanEagle to “fly the gaps,” day or night, when traditional mapping or surveillance assets are unavailable or conditions are hazardous for manned aircraft to fly.
The TK-5 Firewatch payload autonomously collects high-quality imagery in visible, near infrared, and thermal infrared spectral bands simultaneously, and analyzes that imagery in real time onboard, using GPU-accelerated processors and advanced computer vision software.
“Insitu is committed to supporting fire managers and emergency response coordinators by safely and efficiently providing time-critical information, said Mark Bauman, Vice President, Insitu Commercial – Americas.
“The system automatically finds and maps areas that could be unsafe for ground crews, and provides incident commanders the information they need, when they need it, to make the best decisions,” he continued.
The Firewatch payload supports live automated fire line mapping, automatic small hot-spot detection, large-scale vegetation index land monitoring and fire fuels analysis, multi-band photogrammetry, and timely wide-area image maps for situational awareness, change analysis, and response planning.
Data from the Firewatch payload, including multi-band imagery and vector map layers, is integrated with Insitu’s INEXA Solutions suite of remote sensing products and information delivery services, and is compatible with Esri’s ArcGIS software.
(Learn More. Overwatch Imaging specializes in precision aerial photography from long-endurance aircraft, combine UAS industry expertise with the latest industrial electronics, prosumer imaging products, and image processing software to develop solutions to accelerate the transition of UAS from military to commercial applications. Overwatch camera systems are designed for large-scale photoanalysis and precision survey roles, including forest fire mapping, train rail and pipeline inspection, precision agriculture at scale, environmental research, and emergency response situational awareness. Courtesy of Overwatch Imaging and YouTube)
“The customized TK-5 Firewatch, which operates on ScanEagle in addition to the EO/IR video payload, provides a great imaging and aerial data processing platform to drive Insitu’s sophisticated analytics solutions,” explained Andrew Duggan, Vice President and General Manager, Insitu Commercial – Asia/Pacific.
“This payload operates in harmony with Insitu INEXA computer vision software, and helps to further differentiate ScanEagle from other airborne assets by providing real-time geospatial intelligence tailored for each of our customer applications.”
“Building on the TK-5 Firewatch capability, we will continue to expand our extensive computer vision and artificial intelligence software capabilities to provide tailored, autonomous, end-to-end solutions for customers.”
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