Phase I focused on the selection of a camera and associated optics that would deliver the required imagery along with a concept of operation (CONOP) for the system. Though Phase I isnt complete, preliminary results strongly support the use of a small, zoomable full motion video (FMV) camera for target acquisition paired with an 18MP camera and custom 250mm catadioptric lens to capture still images. Phase II will concentrate on the design of a video processor that can execute the CONOP within the confines of a 5 gimbal and the integration of all components into Trilliums HD50 gimbal. The primary deliverables will be an HD50 gimbal that meets all the technical requirements along with flight test results. Trillium is primarily interested in developing a commercially viable product; to this end, the delivered gimbal will be designed and documented in such a way that allows additional units to be readily produced. Trillium is particularly confident in the proposed approach since a nearly identical system in terms of CONOPs was recently designed and built based on Trilliums 8 gimbal. Though the hardware used in the 8 diameter gimbal cannot be directly leveraged, its success legitimizes Trilliums technical approach and provides risk reduction.
