Thales Launches its NextGen Minerva Dual-band Camera in High-definition

The future of Thales’ uncooled thermal imaging sensors has arrived with the new HD Minerva, an integral part of Driver’s Vision Enhancement and Situational Awareness systems. Providing drivers, commanders and crews of tactical and combat vehicles with unparalleled sensitivity, image quality and situational awareness, Minerva equips them to operate safely and effectively day and night, under severely degraded battlefield conditions.

Incorporating 1280 x 1024-resolution HD detectors – a rarity in uncooled devices – that provide 2x more pixels than VGA sensors, Minerva’s HD detectors allow users to see better and further than the enemy. Users can trust the live images to give them the information they need to act fast, feel safe, and gain a crucial tactical advantage.

Designed and manufactured by Thales in Canada, home to Thales’ global centre of excellence for uncooled technologies, Minerva integrates state of the art, uncooled Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) HD 1280x1024, 12-micron detector and a full HD 1920x1080 visible module. Minerva’s sensor outputs fully digital 60 Hz video (3G-SDI), and its low-latency and automatic image processing algorithms ensure users experience no delays in optimizing situational awareness without needing to make adjustments.

“Soldiers today face fast-changing conditions and growing complexity. Mission success and survivability often depend on the ability to act first and act fast – based on data and information they can trust. The integration of HD into the Minerva significantly boosts performance for threat identification and recognition, enabling users to see better, further and faster than their adversaries – all of which are critical in decisive moments.”??????? Manny Maes, General Manager, Optronics, Thales Canada