American tech firm Bounce Imaging has unveiled a panoramic tactical camera that can be thrown on the battlefield to keep soldiers out of harm’s way.
Called the Pit Viper 360, the device is claimed to be the first in the world to combine six thermal imaging cores and an inertial measurement unit the size of a grapefruit.
Engineered to endure the challenges of tactical missions, it can be rolled across floors, thrown downstairs, or penetrate windows to gather critical intelligence in potentially dangerous locations.
The camera is suitable for a variety of high-risk missions, from hostage situations to armed standoffs, where direct visual reconnaissance is too risky.
When deployed, the Pit Viper 360 can detect heat signatures, allowing operators safely stationed a few meters away to identify movements and assess the number of people inside a room.
“Operating directly in the panoramic projection several orders of magnitude more efficiently than traditional methods allows us to generate stabilized thermal panoramic video with low latency and very low [size, weight, and power] requirements,” company chief technology officer Sietse Dijkstra said.
Compatibility With Robot Dogs
Bounce Imaging demonstrated its new tactical camera’s ability to work alongside quadruped unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) at the recent National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) annual conference.
The device was integrated into Boston Dynamics’ SPOT robot dog, enhancing operator safety in highly complex environments.
With SPOT’s navigation capabilities, the Pit Viper 360 provides better situational awareness to military units, contributing to mission success.
“It is becoming clear that the future of unmanned systems is teaming across platforms to use each technology’s strengths together to achieve a mission. Pairing Bounce cameras with a capable UGV like SPOT is an excellent example of that,” Bounce Imaging chief operating officer Mark Fargason noted.
The Pit Viper 360 will be available for military and civilian customers by 2025.
