AeroVironment expands Mantis family with expected benefits for Raven sUAS operators
Mantis i23 D daytime imaging payload micro-gimbal. (Photo: AeroVironment Inc)
The new Mantis i23 D micro-gimbal includes improved target detection capability and a wider horizontal field of view.
AeroVironment has added a new member to its Mantis family of micro-gimbals.
Compatible with the Raven B (RQ-11) sUAS, the Mantis i23 D was described by the company in a 30 August announcement as a ‘compact, high-performance daytime imaging payload system’.
Features of the new 380g micro-gimbal include dual 18MP EO sensors and a 24x digital zoom video capability, designed to maintain image quality on extended-range ISR operations.
According to AeroVironment, the payload provides a 50% wider horizontal field of view ‘and more than four times the target detection capability over the current Mantis i23 for improved situational awareness’.
Charles Dean, AeroVironment VP of global business development, sales and marketing, said the Mantis i23 D will enable customers to operate Raven B ‘at a greater standoff distance than before… reducing the risk of the target detecting or hearing the sUAS overhead’.
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