Resolve Optics Ltd in conjunction with IMAO SAS (Limoges, France) has received a Euro 1.68 million Horizon 2020 award to expedite the development of a 1GPixel resolution ultra-large format aerial surveillance camera.
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). Horizon 2020 is a flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.
Using ultra large format, low distortion lenses custom designed by Resolve Optics, IMAO was able to create a prototype aerial surveillance camera. Its patented design, which associates three optical chambers, a matrix of sensors and 3 ultra large format lenses, represents a disruptive development in the field of aerial data acquisition.
The prototype 660Mpixel camera produces high quality images two to three times larger than the standard image size generated by other large format cameras on the market. As a consequence not only are less images required for geographic data mapping but also these images require less processing time saving operators time and money.
Using the Horizon 2020 funding, the Resolve Optics / IMAO consortium aim to further improve the 660Mpixel resolution of the prototype camera to reach 1Gpixel by 2020. With this ultra high resolution, large format capability, less aerial surveillance flights will be required to create better quality images for Google maps, construction sites and other mapping and surveillance projects.
