A fully-integrated aerial system

Why choosing a fully integrated aerial system.

The Phase One 190MP Aerial System enables carrying out high precision mapping projects more efficiently. The iXM series is a breakthrough aerial camera platform.

The Phase One 190MP Aerial System is a compact system made of several components designed to seamlessly accomplish extraordinary results in high precision aerial mapping surveys without compromising the ability to execute fast and efficiently.

The system was developed by the Danish company Phase One, specialized in advanced hardware and imaging software solutions for aerial photography. This solution has application in:

• Remote sensing
• Precision agriculture
• Disaster management & monitoring

Phase One’s ambition is to provide an integrated solution ready to operate and it is made of the following main components:

1. A control unit
   • The iX Controller is a rugged PC that acts as a central hub. It controls the camera, the gyro-stabilizing mount, the GNSS/IMU system and runs the capture application and the flight management system. This enables accurate activation of multiple cameras by a flight management system installed on the controller.
2. A real-time image control software
   • The iX Capture is an aerial capture, control and image processing software with an intuitive interface that displays key information such as exposure settings, histogram, GNSS/IMU data and frame count. It provides the operator with real-time feedback and the confidence that each image has been captured correctly.
3. A gyro-stabilized mount
   • A mount that supports the reduction of the angular rate, provides optimal stabilization of the system and allows efficient and precise image capturing at any flight conditions.
4. A GNSS/IMU system
   • By default, the system comes with an Applanix’ POS AV system that enables direct georeferencing of aerial images. This enables precise determination of position and attitude, as well as the completion of geospatial projects in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.
   • The system is also compatible with additional GNSS/IMU systems.
5. A flight management system
   • TopoFlight flight management system is integrated to assist with the planning, positioning and sensors’ management/triggering. This reduces aerial survey operational costs and increases productivity.
6. 4 Band configuration
   • The iXU-RS1900 4-Band comprises dual 90 mm RGB lenses and an additional One 50mm achromatic lens for capturing NIR information and thus providing 4-Band (R,G,B,NIR) or CIR imagery.
7. A large format metric aerial camera
   • The iXU-RS1900 dual lens aerial camera is an advanced large format metric camera, with technology designed specifically for the toughest demands of aerial imaging projects.

The Phase One 190MP Aerial System delivers three main unique capabilities. These revolve around (a) its ability to capture large images with extreme accuracy, (b) to be operated on fast speed flights, and (c) to be easily integrated with light aircrafts.

• Large image coverage and high stereoscopic accuracy
  • Survey productivity can be increased due to large FOV along flight. The new camera is characterized by small pixel size (4.6 μ), large image area (190 MP), high image capture rate of 0.6 sec and exposure time of up to 1/2000, a focal length of 90 mm, and optional NIR channel.
  • High stereoscopic accuracy is delivered by the Phase One iXU-RS1900 which is built with dual 90mm lenses for capturing RGB information. This advanced optical integration and software development enables the generation of a 190MP single central projection image from two 100MP nadir images with equal ground resolution. Each sensor provides an image with 8,708 pixels across flight and 11,608 pixels along flight, and the two stitched images form a large frame with 16,470 pixels across the flight line and 11,540 pixels along the flight line, providing a 190MP image.

• Flight at higher speed
  • The iXU-RS1900 is equipped with an RS Lens central Shutter which is built on an innovative concept. A highly sensitive CMOS sensor and the very short exposure time are also key.The RS shutter enhanced exposure speed guarantees half a million (500,000) exposures – a record-breaking capture rate. This provides a large forward overlap for 3D city modeling and dense digital surface models (DSM).

• Small size and light weight enable the use of light aircraft for mapping
  • The iXU-RS1900 is small, light and consumes low power, making it compatible with all types of light aviation vehicles. These factors significantly reduce the operational costs of mapping projects, and make it an ideal camera for use as a standalone camera for photogrammetric work, as a component for LIDAR systems and a NADIR camera for Oblique systems, or as part of an array of multiple cameras.

The iXM series

In Apri 2018, Phase One Industrial launched the iXM series: a breakthrough aerial camera platform driven by the world’s fastest medium-format imaging sensor. Engineered for UAV-imaging missions, the iXM 100MP is a high-productivity metric camera with a range of high-resolution lenses. The iXM is ready for integration with a wide range of UAV platforms, including Phase One’s DJI Matrice 600 Pro solution.

The iXM 100MP metric camera incorporates the first medium-format sensor with backside-illumination technology, enabling high light sensitivity and extended dynamic range. Fast, highly responsive, robust, and weatherproof (IP53 compliant), the iXM 100MP delivers superior quality aerial imaging and flexible operation to satisfy diverse mapping, surveying, and inspection applications.

Phase One announced four new specially developed RSM lenses – with focal lengths ranging from 35mm to 150mm – to seamlessly fit the new sensor’s 3.76μm pixel size and 33×44 mm frame size, ensuring image sharpness across the entire FOV. The lenses are available with either fixed-focus or motorized-focus functionality.

• The fixed-focus 35mm and 80mm lenses provide superior image radiometric quality, high ground resolution, and large coverage – perfect for surveying applications.
• Themotorized-focus 80mm and 150mm lenses are ideal for a wide range of inspection applications, including electricity poles, wind turbines, bridges, and other private-sector or government structures.

Motorized-focused lenses, having no external moving parts, enable a number of new uses for inspection applications where the focusing distance can be predefined based on flight planning, or by the operator, using wireless remote control. With the motorized lens, the camera captures sharp and highly detailed images of multi-distance or 3D objects.

The cameras’ RSM lenses incorporate a new leaf-shutter technology, which supports 3 fps capture – with a speed of 1/2500 sec – while guaranteeing 500,000 actuations. The lenses are thermally stable to ensure consistent focus over a wide range of temperatures and flight altitudes. With optics designed to exploit the full benefits of the new sensor technology, the lenses provide with greater productivity, flexibility, and reliability, offering superb image quality.

The new iXM platform adds XQD high-speed storage technology to handle the sensor’s extremely fast frame rate. Also on all cameras, HDMI output from actual exposure provides UAV operators simple and outage-free feedback of actual view, exposures, and camera status in overlays. In addition, the new platform includes USB-C and 10G Ethernet for versatility of connectivity to large UAVs and aircraft.

Summary

The Phase One 190MP Aerial System is a compact system made of several components that enables carrying out high precision mapping projects more efficiently. The system delivers three main unique capabilities: (a) its ability to capture large images with extreme accuracy, (b) to fly fast and (c) to be easily integrated with light aircrafts.

Phase One also launched the iXM series: a breakthrough aerial camera platform driven by the world’s fastest medium-format imaging sensor. Engineered for UAV-imaging missions, the iXM 100MP is a high-productivity metric camera with a range of high-resolution lenses.