The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry is experiencing rapid growth, driving demand for advanced infrared imaging systems. This evolution necessitates higher quality optics for drones and UAVs, capable of maximizing imaging performance to match increasingly sophisticated detectors featuring larger sizes and smaller pixels.
Optical manufacturers are challenged to produce lenses that deliver crisp, clear images across zoom ranges, with modulation transfer function (MTF) performance approaching diffraction limits, all while adhering to strict SWaP requirements – size, weight, and power consumption. These optics must also endure harsh environmental conditions encountered in diverse UAV applications, including defense.
Market analysts predict worldwide UAV production to reach $135 billion in the next decade. Equipped with high-performance electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras, UAVs and drones are used in military and police surveillance, border security, search and rescue, and commercial sectors like powerline and pipeline inspection, forest fire detection, and firefighting support.
To meet the demand for enhanced imaging, especially with higher detector resolution and smaller commercial drones, optical solutions are evolving. High-quality lenses are crucial to fully utilize advanced detectors. Innovations include folded-optics and lightweight zoom lenses optimized for next-generation infrared thermal imaging.
State-of-the-art technologies such as advanced optical and mechanical designs, specialized materials, and unique lens manufacturing and coating techniques are being employed. Continuous zoom lenses are favored for their SWaP efficiency, offering mission flexibility and being more compact and lighter than multiple fixed focal length lenses.
Companies like Ophir are developing lightweight, high-performance thermal imaging zoom lenses specifically for UAV payloads and handheld devices. Their LightIR 20-275mm f/5.5 lens, weighing only 264 grams, demonstrates high MTF across its field of view and maintains performance in temperatures from -35°C to +65°C. This lens allows for vehicle detection at ranges up to 15km when paired with appropriate detectors.
Folded-optic configurations, like Ophir’s 16-180mm f/3.6 zoom lens, are also emerging to address SWaP needs in compact gimbaled payloads. These designs achieve long optical lengths in minimized spaces, incorporating aspheric and diffractive surfaces produced with diamond turning technology for enhanced performance and reduced size and weight. Advanced anti-reflective lens coatings further boost optical performance without adding size or weight, crucial for diverse UAV operational environments.
For UAV optics, key capabilities include small form factors for miniature gimbals, ultra-lightweight designs, high optical performance, low power consumption, durability, rapid field-of-view change, continuous zoom with consistent F-number, accurate bore sight, compatibility with major infrared detectors, and diffraction-limited optical design. Ultimately, advanced optical solutions are essential for maximizing airborne mission performance and ensuring high imaging quality without overburdening UAV payloads.
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