- Designed for AeroVironment Puma™ AE
small unmanned aircraft systems, Mantis i45 is available for both
commercial and military applications
- Mantis i45 features an advanced suite
of sensors, including ultra-high-resolution EO and IR imagers, that
takes the guesswork out of tactical ISR
- Mantis i45 operators see better and
farther than ever before, enabling them to make better decisions
and perform missions with certainty
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a world leader in small
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today unveiled its new Mantis i45
electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) gimbal payload designed for
AeroVironment Puma™ AE (All Environment) small unmanned aircraft
systems – for both commercial and military applications. The
company made the announcement at the Association for Unmanned
Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) XPONENTIAL 2016 conference
and trade show taking place May 2-5 at the Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center in New Orleans (Note to editors: see a
demo of the Mantis i45 at AeroVironment’s booth #1525).
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005648/en/
AeroVironment's New Mantis i45 Sensor
Suite for Puma AE Delivers Dramatic Leap in Capability for Small
UAS (Photo: Business Wire)
“The Mantis i45 represents a dramatic leap in small UAS image
resolution and approaches capabilities inherent in platforms many
times the size and cost of Puma AE,” said Kirk Flittie, vice
president and general manager of AeroVironment’s Unmanned Aircraft
Systems business segment. “This enhanced capability enables
commercial and military users to see more and farther, with greater
detail, than ever before, make better decisions and perform their
missions with greater certainty. The AeroVironment Mantis i45
represents a significant increase in performance for Puma AE
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.”
In combat, the Mantis i45 empowers operators to identify targets
more accurately and with greater detail while operating even
farther away from the target. The higher resolution imagery also
aids in target analysis, positive identification and better enables
operators to identify threats to friendly forces.
With an advanced suite of sensors, including
ultra-high-resolution EO and IR imagers, key features of the Mantis
i45 include: dual-color cameras (wide and narrow views); improved
IR imagery; new low-light camera; high-power illuminator; 50-times
zoom in EO; optional on-board storage of high definition video and
high-resolution stills; and a dedicated on-board image processor.
The AeroVironment Mantis i45 also lends itself to a level of
customization never before seen in a gimbal this size while still
being compatible with portable Puma AE systems.
Among its many enhancements, the Mantis i45 offers a wide range
of night-time solutions, from low-light near-infrared (NIR) to long
wave infrared (LWIR) imagers. In addition, it is a
backward-compatible, fully waterproof payload capable of operating
under the same harsh environmental conditions as the AeroVironment
Puma AE system – which is designed for both land-based and maritime
operations.
Like previous Puma AE payloads, the Mantis i45 retracts into the
fuselage for launch and recovery to protect the gimbal during the
highest loading portions of its operation. During flight
operations, it provides full lower-hemisphere coverage and
continuous zoom.
The AeroVironment Mantis i45 is highly configurable and can
cater to a diverse set of missions. The modular hardware is capable
of supporting a wide variety of imagers, enabling rapid development
of custom configurations to meet future needs.
The AeroVironment Mantis i45 also provides improved image
quality performance at increased zoom levels. Improvements in
sensors, control algorithms and drive mechanics yield an
unprecedented level of mechanical stability in a small, waterproof
gimbal system. Augmented with improved on-board digital
stabilization, the AeroVironment Mantis i45 delivers excellent
video stability.
“With its increased capability, we worked to ensure the high
reliability that our customers expect from the i45,” Flittie said,
“and this design meets more rigorous standards than any previous
Puma AE payload.” The fully waterproof design protects against
sand, dust, rain, salt fog, snow, mud and 100 percent relative
humidity conditions, and reliably withstands the shock loads that
result from the precision deep-stall landings employed by the Puma
AE.
Size, weight and power (SWaP) also were critical design
considerations. A payload shell similar to that of the standard
Puma AE payload houses the Mantis i45 and installs in an identical
manner onto the Puma AE platform. “Even with its valuable new
capabilities, the i45 is no larger than its predecessor,” Flittie
said.
No modifications to the Puma are needed to incorporate the i45.
Additionally, power-conscious processors onboard the i45 optimize
power consumption, resulting in minimal performance impact to the
Puma aircraft while delivering dramatically improved
capabilities.
The gimbal open system architecture offers maximum flexibility
to facilitate easy future expansion. Its design also supports a
wide variety of camera formats, so new camera technology can be
integrated into the system with minimal development.
The Mantis i45 payload will be available to order in September
2016.http://www.avinc.com/uas/i45
About AeroVironment Small UAS
RQ-11B Raven®, RQ-12 Wasp®, RQ-20A Puma™ and Shrike VTOL™
comprise AeroVironment’s Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Operating with a common ground control system (GCS), this Family of
Systems provides increased capability to the warfighter that can
give ground commanders the option of selecting the appropriate
aircraft based on the type of mission to be performed. This
increased capability has the potential to provide significant force
protection and force multiplication benefits to small tactical
units and security personnel. AeroVironment provides logistics
services worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of
operational readiness and provides mission services for customers
requiring only the information its small UAS produce. AeroVironment
has delivered thousands of new and replacement small unmanned air
vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 30
international governments.
The Puma AE small UAS comprises one component of AeroVironment’s
advanced, turnkey data collection, processing and delivery solution
employed to provide commercial customers with engineering-quality
information, on demand, across multiple industries such as energy,
agriculture, transportation and utilities.
About AeroVironment
AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs,
develops, produces, supports and operates an advanced portfolio of
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and electric transportation
solutions. The company’s electric-powered, hand-launched unmanned
aircraft systems generate and process data to deliver powerful
insight, on demand, to people and enterprises engaged in military,
public safety and commercial activities around the world. Global
Observer® is a hybrid-electric, stratospheric UAS designed to
provide affordable, persistent reconnaissance and communication
over any location on the globe. The Switchblade® tactical missile
system enables the infantry squad and other customers with
increased lethality, reach and force protection through its rapid
deployment, direct fire and collateral damage avoidance
capabilities. AeroVironment’s electric transportation solutions
include a comprehensive suite of electric vehicle (EV) charging
systems, installation and network services for consumers,
automakers, utilities and government agencies, power cycling and
test systems for EV developers and industrial electric vehicle
charging systems for commercial fleets. More information about
AeroVironment is available at www.avinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
“forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made
on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions
that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited
to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors
outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and
obtain additional contracts; our reliance on sales to the U.S.
government; changes in the timing and/or amount of government
spending; changes in the supply and/or demand and/or prices for our
products and services; changes in the regulatory environment; the
activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we
operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to
develop new products or integrate new technology with current
products; and general economic and business conditions in the
United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and
description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on
10-Q. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005648/en/
AeroVironment, Inc.Steven Gitlin+1 (626)
357-9983pr@avinc.comorFor AeroVironment, Inc.Mark Boyer+1 (310)
229-5956mark@boyersyndicate.com
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