Australian Navy to Test Hood Tech’s UAV Imaging Systems

May 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Contact:  Dr. Lars Bergstrom, Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., 541-490-9099, lars@hoodtech.com

Although “‘current fiscal and manpower constraints” are limiting its budget, Australia’s Navy may make certain that “all navy vessels will be fitted for and with a UAS” (unmanned aircraft system), according to a report from Shephard Media’s UV Online (www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/uv-pacific-2012-australian-navy-trial-embarked-uav/).  Quoting extensively Lt. Cdr. Bob Ferry, who is the naval UAS development project manager, the reporter notes that Australia is developing a new defense white paper, which Ferry hopes will include the “expectation that naval UAV operations will be mandated”.
What is the new white paper going to include?  Ferry responded, “‘What’s it going to say?  What I hope it says is what I wrote for CN (Chief of the Navy) – all navy vessels will be fitted for and with a UAS.  We need to have them out there and they need to be involved in everything we do”.  “Given his level of enthusiasm and expertise, we’re gratified that he has such confidence in the aircraft and in our imaging system”, said Dr. Lars Bergstrom, the Chief Operations Officer of Hood Technology.
When Hood Tech began producing 800-gm video-camera turrets in 1998, it enabled an entirely new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  Hood Technology Corp. Vision, Inc. (Hood Tech) designs and manufactures imaging and video processing systems at the highest level of the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS):  level 9.  Designed for manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), boats, land vehicles, and stationary mounts, the reliability and utility of Hood Tech’s daylight and thermal imaging products has been demonstrated over more than 600,000 hours of use in a variety of temperatures, humidity, dust, smoke, haze, and other environmental factors (http://www.alticamvision.com).
Hood Technology was founded by Dr. Andy von Flotow in Hood River, Oregon in 1993.  Along with stabilized imaging systems, Hood Technology:
•   Develops, tests, and manufactures launch and retrieval systems for a variety of UAVs and
•   Monitors blade vibrations in industrial turbines and jet engines, a diagnostic method for predicting possible future failures.
Hood Tech’s web site is:  www.hoodtech.com