Mercury Computer Systems Provides Hyperspectral Imaging System for Surveillance Equipment

Mercury Computer Systems Inc., a trusted ISR subsystems provider, has been chosen to deliver a SWaP-optimized hyperspectral image processing and storage subsystem for multi-INT wide area surveillance equipment used on unmanned aerial vehicles.

The subsystem will be used by Mercury’s customer In order to locate individual adversaries and enemy tactical communications.

The design is the result of a unique combination of the processing speed of Intel (News - Alert) Core i7 with FPGA capabilities for a real-time sensor interface in an ultra-small form factor.

In a press release, Didier Thibaud, senior vice president and general manager of Mercury Computer Systems’ Advanced Computing Solutions business unit, said, “Mercury’s expertise in developing ultra-compact, SWaP-optimized distributed computing platforms with exceptional processing power is an ideal match for the challenges faced by this prime contractor in delivering state-of-the-art surveillance systems for space-constrained environments.”

Designed by Mercury, the hyperspectral image processing system includes two configurations of its PowerBlock 15 Ultra-Compact Embedded Computers, one for storage and one for image processing.

Extremely fast, high-quality hyperspectral imaging will be performed by the system from mercury by collecting and processing information from across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Company officials said that the PowerBlock 15 units installed on board each platform operate as a distributed computing system to maximize performance and minimize power consumption.

The PowerBlock 15 units, has a chassis about the size of a disk drive, which allows it to be tucked into tight spaces and distributed and interconnected in multiple locations across deployed platforms with extremely small environments such as tactical UAVs and manned ground vehicles.

Mercury by delivering best-of-breed systems, will help generate actionable data and heightened situational awareness for military personnel.

In related news, Mercury Computer Systems Inc. has joined the EDGE Innovation Network, an open-environment initiative where industry and academia collaborate, with government input, to enhance the delivery cycle of new technologies and innovative capabilities to warfighters.