Aviation & Aerospace White Papers and Case Studies

  1. Optical Components For SWIR Imaging 7/8/2019

    This application note provides information on the benefits of SWIR imaging in harsh or low-light conditions and PG&O's capabilities in manufacturing optical components for SWIR imaging.

  2. Virtual Engineering Lab Using Photron High-Speed Cameras For Aviation Research 6/12/2018

    Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) is using high-speed digital cameras, manufactured by Photron, in their Virtual Engineering Laboratory in a variety of testing modes such as high-impact dynamic events.

  3. Radiometric Temperature Measurements: Surface Characteristics And Atmospheric Compensation 4/26/2018

    Radiometric temperature measurements are made with radiometric thermal cameras. This white paper discusses this non-contact, non-destructive technique (NDT) that offers advantages for many surface temperature measurement applications, as well as unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

  4. Development Of A 3D Thermal Image Camera System To Perform Analyses From The Air 4/23/2018

    In response to the need for recording 3D thermal images, a team at a university in Germany developed a thermal imaging/RGB system capable of delivering 3D imagery by overlapping pictures from four digital and four FLIR A65sc cameras with 25° fields of view.

  5. Advanced-Absorber Microbolometer Superstructure: Patented Sensor Technology Revealed 3/19/2018

    The most significant development in the production of infrared sensors and their ability to affect improvements to SWaP-C requirements comes from the introduction of uncooled focal plane array (FPA) designs. 

  6. Mitigating Aircraft Damage With A New Generation of Fuel Tank Sensors 6/23/2015

    This white paper describes how these sensor technology developments are able to provide pilots with immediate temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration readings of fuel tanks in the duration of a flight.

  7. 3D Printing Technologies For Prototyping And Production 5/8/2015

    Today’s products are designed to be manufactured in thousands or hundreds of thousands, and both parts and assembled products can be built and tested throughout the development process.

  8. Cooled vs. Uncooled Thermal Imaging 4/29/2015

    This application note describes the difference between cooled and uncooled thermal imaging cameras, and when to use them in applications such as industrial R&D, academics and research, and defense and aerospace.

  9. Mixed-Signal Verification Of A PWM Ultrasound Driver With Analog FastSPICE™ AMS At Stanford University 3/22/2015

    Designers of digitally-assisted circuits are working towards unlocking the digital signal processing capabilities of fine line CMOS technology to leverage their digital processing potential for performance recovery or enhancement in systems. This case study highlights a key challenge associated with the design of these new types of circuits.  It also describes the design and verification of a digitally-assisted ultrasound driver used for structural health monitoring as a non-destructive testing device.

  10. Leveraging Semi-Solid Metal Casting For Manufacturing Complex Parts 12/18/2014

    Brisbane, California startup Fighting Walrus recently developed its Fighting Walrus Radio – a 900 MHz telemetry radio used in conjunction with iPhones or iPads in order to effectively control the flight of commercially available drones. This case study explains how Proto Labs helped them determine that a magnesium thixomolding process was the most ideal solution in developing the radio’s antenna housing and clamps. To see if thixomolding might be the ideal solution for your next design, (drone controller or otherwise), download the case study.