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September 2011 Internal Research and Development has begun on our latest gimbal offering, the BTC-55, developed to house the new FLIR Quark.
April 2011 Our capabilities have expanded with the arrival of our new Deckel Maho DMU 50 5 axis CNC Machine
January 2011 The completed all new BTC-195 has been installed in a new Quest Kodiak for further development and day to day local airborne traffic monitoring. System is dubbed "SkyHunter" includes an HD video sensor with dual thermal sensors. Coupled with such a capable aircraft the system should provide municipal customers with a very affordable fixed wing alternative to rotorcraft platforms.
January 2010 Development has begun on a 195mm High-Definition Ball Turret Camera System that incorporates the control and stability of the all new Procerus K3 autopilot. This system is designed for manned and unmanned systems alike. An accompanying aircraft aluminum control console is also being developed for manned aircraft OEM installations.
January 2009 Prototyping facility converted for production.
January 2008 A new electric air vehicle is under development. The HawkMoth UAV is designed for high performance and features powerplant modules ( 450 and 750 Watt) and two wing sizes (71" span for duration and a 52" speed wing.) This vehicle will carry the BTC-88 Retract unit and will also feature a 101 retract with an IR camera sensor. Specifications and video footage will be available soon.
December 2007 Some modified BTC-101's have been delivered to Honeywell for testing on the their hovering MAV.
July 2007
March 2007 A vehicle for NC² has been built under the constraint of a tube launched UAV. Deployment scheme has been finalized and mechanisms are under development. Prototype pictures and a video can be found on the Airframes Page.
January 2007 Due to significant interest in the retracting of our camera units, updates have been made and the BTC-40 R is an all new retracting module. It's now a stand alone unit with shock isolated mounts available with or without doors. In this version the door is actuated by a separate servo. Sequencing of the retracting/extending ball and the doors can be accomplished via the autopilot programming or in a manual version by utilizing servo sequencers that are normally used for landing gear doors. The BTC-88 is currently being fight tested by Procerus Technologies, and is also available in a retracting version. Additionally, we have been developing a rip stop skin for use on light weight EPP flying surfaces.
April 2006 A revolutionary new micro video system, combining dynamic “tilt & pan” aiming with an electronically stabilized, high resolution CCD color camera, will bring unprecedented observation capabilities to Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MAV's) and in other space-limited, weight-sensitive applications. The Micro UAV Ball Turret Camera Patent Pending features an advanced NTSC ¼ inch .9 Lux CCD head, with an electronic iris and a resolution of better than 450 lines. In airborne test installations, the unit has demonstrated the ability to track using GPS coordinates and autopilot software to capture quality images of the designated target, using field changeable lens options that range from 1.9mm wide angle to 12 mm. The unit measures just 3 in. long by 1.5 in. wide and 2.125 inches tall (2.75 in max. height including ball), and has a total weight under 65 grams. The unit is easily set up for stabilized operation with the addition of a roll axis rocker mounting plate. The normal tilt function within the unit is incorporated into the pitch axis of the stabilizing hardware. Innovative engineering and the use of carbon fiber and other robust components make the camera unit relatively sturdy while keeping weight the foremost priority. The Micro Ball Turret can rotate (pan function) slightly more than 360 degrees in less than one second. Tilt takes a quarter of that time. With high quality components in precision geometry and riding on self-lubricating ball bearings, the camera achieves this rapid motion with very low inertia, facilitating smooth, vibration-free tracking of subjects. The design uses no slip rings and is completely noise free. The unit’s “dynamic wire” fine strand camera harnessing is wound on a take-up reel and has been cycle tested for long life. Beta Ball Turret Cameras have been flown by Cyber Defense “CyberBug” and a UAV test platform flown.
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Additional video available on our YouTube Channel |