Unmanned Operation (Single Pilot): The need to bring along a camera operator contributes significantly to the high operational costs of aerial survey. In the case of extensive long-term missions away from the base, an assistant can be useful to assist the Pilot, but for shorter missions, the Pilot should be able to fly alone provided the camera system is capable of operating independently. PanthAIR is designed to be a cross-platform system that includes a version for unmanned aerial vehicles (image below).

This has been accomplished by upgrading the Lead’AIR TrackAIR FMS Flight Management System with an Unmanned Camera Operating System (UCOS) that does not require any operator supervision. When operating manned aircraft, the same software option can be selected so that the camera system does not need to interact with the crew during operations. The FMS software will provide the Pilot with information to guide him to the area and will automatically operate the camera while helping him fly the mission as long as a project has been selected prior to the aircraft's departure.

Unmodified Airplane For Low Operational Costs: Customarily, aerial cameras are big and heavy, 200 lbs. and more (100kg +) and are mounted inside the airplane above a large camera hole, at least 19 inch in diameter (50 cm +) which is cut through the floor of the airplane by an aircraft repair shop. Making a camera hole is a major aircraft modification which requires an FAA STC (Single Type Certificate) and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Being able to use normal non-modified airplanes contributes to the main goal driving the PanthAIR, which is to keep the operational costs as low as possible. Thanks to its very compact and lightweight form-factor, the PanthAIR fits in a small pod which can be conveniently hung under the struts of high wings airplanes such as the popular Cessna single engine airplanes. The PanthAIR can be delivered with FAA certified clamps which allows it to be installed under the wings of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the Cessna 182 Skylane, and the Cessna 206 Stationair. In less than two hours the camera system is ready to fly a mission and to start earning its money. 

To sum up: Wing mounting allows the user to transform a regular airplane into an efficient inexpensive aerial survey airplane. The installation can be done in a couple hours by a regular A&P mechanic without making any permanent modifications to the airplane. The installation is logged and signed in the airplane logbook by the mechanic who carried out the work. The wing strut pod corrects for drift and yaw and delivers imagery aligned with the airplane ground track without any crab.

PanthAIR 3D Aerial Camera System technology: Introduced a couple months ago with a price of less than $200,000, the PanthAIR single camera 3D aerial system stands as the pinnacle of our development efforts. leveraging a single camera, PanthAIR data produces highly detailed and accurate 3D city models, on a par with those produced by other 3D aerial cameras.

Unlike most other aerial camera systems, PanthAIR employs a mechanically set-in-motion camera that sequentially points at designated ground locations. Rather than employing a rig of multiple cameras always looking at the ground at fixed angles and perspectives, PanthAIR uses a single camera which is aimed successively at multiple locations on the ground with constantly varying perspectives. From the point of view of 3D reconstruction software, processing multiple fixed angled images captured by several cameras or processing multiple images at multiple angles captured by one camera is the same task.

This innovative approach harnesses the rapid triggering speed of modern digital cameras, such as the Illunis EMC-103, firing up to 5 images per second. A complete 360 degrees array of images is captured almost at the same instant, in less than 2.5 seconds, under exactly the same lighting conditions.

The trajectory of the PanthAIR camera is meticulously designed to collect images with optimal angles and perspectives, ensuring precise 3D twin city models. The spectacular twin models which have been generated with PanthAIR imagery by Skyline and ESRI software have proven that this method is working and that the results are consistent with what is required for extensive cost-effective city mapping.

Should you have any inquiries or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Also, if you are interested to know more about the PanthAIR technical side, please ask for our PanthAIR technical presentation from JP Email Contact

About Lead’AIR Inc: The Florida-based Lead’AIR Inc. is a small Engineering company that employs 35 people concentrating on software, mechanical and electronic engineering. Opened in 1995 originally under the name Track’Air, Lead’AIR has always been at the forefront of aerial survey technology, FMS (flight management systems), vertical medium format mapping cameras, 3D oblique camera systems (MIDAS), emergency response camera systems (NOAA), etc. https://trackair.us

Lead’AIR Is Looking For Partners And Investors. The development and marketing of the new single camera 3D aerial photography line of products is a considerable effort which absorbs significant resources. Hence Lead’AIR is actively looking for business partners and investors interested in joining forces with our company to help develop, support, and promote our worldwide initiatives and products. Please contact JP Barriere      Email Contact