ARS - Augmented Reality mapping System
ARS is a mapping system for airborne applications and is unique in providing the world's first augmented reality mapping display. This means that critical information needed to accomplish the mission can be displayed directly over the live full motion video at the touch of a button -- for tactical flight offiicers (TFOs) streets and points of interest can be labelled, and property addresses can float above the houses they represent. For pipeline monitoring, the location of underground gas line can be made visible. Regardless of the application, ARS ensures the operator never needs to take their eyes off of what is most important -- what is happening as seen by the camera. In the real world, this is absolutely critical, and may mean the difference between success or failure -- or life or death.
As a tried and tested, field proven solution, ARS is in use at every level of law enforcement in the United States -- from numerous municipalities to state highway patrol agencies across the country, to the Federal Government. We have outstanding relationships with all of the major giimbal manufacturers, and count many of them as customers as well.
Most importantly, we understand your job -- how important effective communication with ground assets are to you, and how you want technology to make your life easier, not more difficult. With the press of a button, everything you need to know is labelled -- press it again, and you are looking at the raw sensor video. ARS can provide as much or as little information as you want, when you want it, and how you want it.
ARS isn't just the world's first augmented reality mapping system, it's also the world's best moving map solution. Full-screen, or side-by-side with live video which can be scaled as desired, ARS delivers an unmatched combination of speed, ease of use, and comprehensiveness. Global or Continent-wide terrain, imagery, and vector data can be provided on systems that contain up to 1.8 terabytes of solid state storage suitable for use in the worse conditions.
Conceptually, what ARS does is provide access to two cameras: the physical camera attached to your aircraft, and a virtual camera which you are free to control. To provide an augmented reality display, the virtual camera is placed at the same position and orientation as the physical camera, with the same field of view (FOV) and a computer-generated image is generated. Elements of this synthetic image (such as street names) are allowed to appear on top of the live video. To provide conventional "moving map" capabilities, the virtual camera is positioned as needed -- above the aircraft or sensor point of interest, for example, or above an address you have just looked up. ARS can not only augment the live video, but allows the operator to "mix and match" between the real and virual world as needed -- fading between the two, or zooming in and out using the virtual camera -- providing either a digital zoom to the live video feed or an extended synthetic FOV that provides additional situational awareness while preserving the resolution of the live video. This gives the operators exactly the information they need, when they need it -- easily and intuitively.
ARS supports a wide variety of input and output options -- it is the only product on the market today capable of capturing full high definition video, meaning that even if you are currently using a standard definition video camera, your investment will be preserved when you upgrade in the future. It can drive multiple monitors up to 2560x1600 resolution, and is compatible with and can be fully operated using touchscreen monitors from Avalex, Paravion, and others. Aviation keyboards such as those from Aerocomputers and Paravion can control ARS, and the gimbal and ARS can be controlled not only using your existing hand or laptop controller, but an xbox-compatible joystick and chatpad as well, which provides enhanced functionallity and greater familiarity for many operators.
Download the Vertical 911 Magazine article on ARS