Trimble 80 Megapixel Device Designed To Improve Resolution From Fixed-Wing, UAV Platforms

An 80 megapixel aerial camera was unveiled Tuesday by Trimble at Photogrammetric Week. The TAC 80MP is designed extending the range of applications for existing medium-format aerial cameras. Utilizing features such as forward motion compensation (FMC) technology, the TAC 80MP allows aerial service providers to fly faster or increase ground sampling distance, Trimble says. This enables fixed wing aircraft to deliver results previously only achievable with helicopter campaigns. With a weight of less than 6.6 pounds, the TAC 80MP is also adaptable to a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Trimble says the camera is a suitable replacement for aging large-format analog cameras (LFC), which are increasingly being taken out of service. Because the long side of the TAC 80MP sensor is equal to an analog LFC image scanned at 20 micrometers, service providers are able to fly the TAC 80MP instead of allocating additional resources to their digital large-format fleet. 

"We see the TAC 80MP as a multi-purpose camera that can equip service providers with capabilities previously only attainable using far more expensive large-format cameras," said Katherine Sandford, general manager of Trimble's GeoSpatial Division. "With its robust, light-weight design and flexible integration capabilities, the TAC 80MP is positioned to stretch the boundaries of today's medium-format camera market."

As with previous Trimble Aerial Cameras, the 80MP is offered with a wide range of focal length optics, allowing for dynamic reconfigurations to accommodate changing project parameters. 

The TAC 80MP is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2011.

FMI: www.trimble.com