22 Jul 13. Surveillance technology is now even more compact with the launch of Cobham’s ultra small COFDM transmitter, the SOLO7 Nano Transmitter (Nano Tx), designed specifically for specialist video installations and body-worn applications. The same proven and trusted technology featured in Cobham’s range of larger COFDM transmitters has been packed into a tiny transmitter measuring only 58mm x 38mm x 17mm and weighing just 51g. Ultra small yet highly capable, the Nano Tx is a low power, standard definition transmitter ideally suited for covert video hides, or applications requiring long term battery powered deployments, small unmanned aerial vehicles, and body-worn use. The Nano Tx employs ultra-low latency High Profile H.264 encoding for excellent image quality and supports both industry standard DVB-T modulation and a range of Cobham bandwidths – Narrowband (2.5 MHz), Ultra Narrowband (1.25 MHz) and Ultra-X (625 kHz). These narrowband modes allow users to share scarce spectrum allocation extremely efficiently or extend range without requiring additional power output, which increases the stand-off range for operators and improves safety during body worn applications. A HD version of the Nano Tx will be launched later in 2013.

31 Jul 13. Research and Markets announced the addition of “The Global IR Imaging Market” report to their offering. The global IR imaging market is expected to witness good growth as it is being accepted across the geographies for various applications. In 2011, the market for North America emerged as the biggest one with respect to IR camera and is expected to stay on the top during the forecasted period. However, our research says that two main IR camera end-user applications in North America; namely commercial and military and defense are relatively mature industries; thus the growth is expected to remain on a lower side. IR cameras have not yet penetrated in geographical regions other than North America, thereby leaving a lot of scope for commercial application to grow. Continuously flourishing economy of China is expected to be the reason for this high growth as it is the second largest economy in the world after the U.S. Apart from automotive applications, oil and gas and commercial applications are also expected to contribute significantly to the total IR imaging market in the APAC. The overall IR imaging market is divided into two major sub-markets, namely – thermography and vision enhancement applications. FLIR Systems (U.S.) is the only one player operating in both the above-mentioned markets and holds the top rank. It holds nearly 65% of the total market share of IR imaging market and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecasted period. There is a trend of vertical integration in IR imaging market and nearly all the top players follow the same trend. Companies such as FLIR Systems (U.S.), Axis Communications AB (Sweden), and Samsung Techwin (South Korea) are few of the key players in the global IR Imaging market with regards to commercial vision application; whereas FLIR Systems (U.S.) and Fluke Corporation (U.S.) are the prominent players in global IR Imaging market for thermography application. For the IR imaging market; development of high speed infrared cameras, rapidly decreasing cost, and continuous development in uncooled microbolometer are acting as drivers. Lack of penetration in geographical regions other than North America and availability of competing technology are acting as restraints.
Applications of uncooled IR camera for Remote Sensing and Hyperspectral Imaging will provide opportunities for IR imaging market. Besides, this research reveals that manufacturers whose IR camera meets all the essential criteria required by automotive and security application will lead the market. (Source: Yahoo!/PRNewswire)

30 Jul 13. JLENS blimps to patrol DC skies. Blimps are making a comeback, this time as a missile defense sensor initially designed to protect skies