Recently developed by BAE Systems, a classified military project called ARGUS-IS (Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System) delivers unprecedented situational awareness using onboard, embedded image processing algorithms. Threats facing U.S. forces today require persistent surveillance over areas of operation and areas of interest. Here’s the technical description: ARGUS-IS is a composite focal plane array (CFPA) assembly of 368 overlapping FPAs, imaging a wide persistent area at 10Hz. Each FPA provides high-resolution imagery, which is combined with neighboring FPAs to perform the following functions: create video windows, detect and track moving vehicles, reach back into the forensic archive, and generate 3D models. A Focal Plane array (FPA) is a special type of bolometer and is used as a thermal detector in infrared cameras. The FPA is based on a series of small thin-film bolometers arranged in a matrix in the focal plane of the detector. This results in a planar pixel sensor, allowing an improved price-performance ratio in various applications. However, the description does not begin to convey… More