The patented technology at the heart of our systems enables them to meet performance levels that exceed by an order of magnitude or more, those of other commonly used sensor pointing technologies. Specifically, the properties of the technology described below enable sensors of various kinds including cameras and LIDAR to be used far more effectively and in ways not previously possible.

Simultaneous Speed and Precision: The combination of high acceleration, speed and precision is the key to why our systems are able to perform tasks at levels, higher by an order of magnitude and more, than is possible with alternative technologies.

Current models are simultaneously capable of:

• Extremely high rates of acceleration, up to 100,000°/s²
• Reaching aperture speeds of up to 10,000°/s
• Pointing precision of 0.02°

Even higher levels of all the parameters above are achievable in custom systems. The combination of these high rates of acceleration, speed and precision enable behaviours that are not achievable with other systems such as:

• The stabilisation of a sensor’s field of view on mobile platforms almost regardless of the their motion
• Acquiring multi-Gigapixel panoramas in less than a minute
• The tracking of objects that display very high accelerations and velocities
• Tracking several objects simultaneously
• Tracking one or more objects while simultaneously stabilizing
• Rapid and precise mapping with a wide range of optical sensors

Shock and Vibration: Common to alternative sensor pointing technologies are relatively large masses consisting mainly of the sensor, one or more motors, housings and the support for these suspended on drive shafts. When shock and vibration transmitted through the platform to which they are mounted interacts with these systems, large forces are driven through their drive train causing early failure or the requirement to over engineer the drive train to prolong their serviceable lifetime. Our systems do not have any large masses suspended on shafts, moving elements are lightweight and supported at their periphery delivering high levels of immunity to shock and vibration.

Robustness: The structure of Our systems means that all sensors, drive components and control electronics remain stationary and reside within the system housing or the platform to which the system is mounted, protecting them from physical damage and environmental contaminants.

Sensor Choice: The envelope and weight restrictions imposed by alternative systems limit the choice of sensor that can be used in a particular application. Because the sensor in a Hawkeye system is stationary and connected to the optical port of the system size, weight, or almost any other sensor parameter does not impact their use with a Hawkeye system or the dynamics with which they can be pointed.

Data Transmission: In systems based on alternative technologies, when passing electrical signals from the sensor to the receiving system, slip rings are usually required to pass the signals through the rotating joints of the system. Slip rings are well known for their reliability and bandwidth limitations. In Hawkeye systems no slip rings are used as no electrical signals are required to move through rotating joints. All electrical and electronic components in a Hawkeye system remain stationary while the Hawkeye head directs the optical flow to and from the sensor.

Size and Weight: An implementation of our technology will almost always return a significantly smaller and lighter device than alternative technologies, while maintaining vastly superior performance capabilities.

Signal Path: A system’s signal path may be configured to accommodate the aperture, positioning and divergence of nearly any sensor.