Sentinel Air becomes US distributor of UAV Vision sensors

Sentinel Air LLC of Alamogordo, New Mexico, is now a distributor for a line of sensors for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) manufactured in Australia.

The company recently announced a partnership with UAV Vision, an Australian-based technology company that specializes in products for the manned and unmanned vehicle community. UAV Vision offers gyro-stabilized daylight, UV and infrared camera gimbal systems that can be mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manned aircraft, ground vehicles, marine vehicles and platforms that require a stabilized camera system.

“These sensors are unique in the way they operate compared to the majority of systems because everything is digitized—control and video,” said Dean Attridge, co-owner of Sentinel Air.

The sensors enable the distribution of video and control over long ranges, according to Attridge. “This is something that the military has been doing for years over satellite links and now is something we hope to do much cheaper and more locally,” he explained.

Attridge said Sentinel Air is working with a customer who intends to control a UAV and view video while it’s flying in a country different from where the operator is located. 

In addition, Sentinel Air will be using demonstration equipment supplied by UAV Vision to support a search and rescue project with Disaster Tech Lab and for work with local law enforcement. Attridge said the goal is to create a more service-based business and potentially to sell UAS platforms.

Sentinel Air was started by Attridge and Justin Pena, both of whom have experience operating and training on military UAVs. They fly the single-engine, two-seat Sky Arrow, an airplane built in Italy by Magnaghi Aeronautica. Considered a hybrid aircraft, it’s able to fly as either as a manned aircraft or as a UAV.

Attridge said the company will use a UAV Vision sensor in its manned Sky Arrow. The sensors will be remotely controlled by an operator on the ground until the aircraft is converted to an unmanned system.

“Using a manned platform allows us to fly potential UAV users or—using remote operation of the sensors—conduct live demonstrations of these camera systems from our manned aircraft,” Attridge explained. “This is why we selected this system, which led to the agreement between our companies.”

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