FLIR’s New Sensor Module Hadron™ a Drone Industry First

FLIR’s new sensor module Hadron™ is lightweight, compact, and low power – a thermal and visible sensor module ideal for small drones.  Hadron is ideal for drone manufacturers, too, offering out of the box integration.

“Designed to help reduce development costs and improve time-to-market, the lightweight, low power, and compact form factor includes a 12-megapixel visible camera paired with the FLIR Boson® 320×240 resolution thermal camera with up to a 60-hertz framerate,” says a press release.

“With the introduction of Hadron, FLIR Systems is leading the way in offering low-cost, dual sensor integration across a variety of industries from commercial drones to industrial imaging systems,” said Paul Clayton, General Manager, Components Business at FLIR. “Although our unmanned aerial system (UAS) customers are first to market with Hadron, this product empowers all of our OEM customers to increase performance with out-of-the-box functionality and simplified integration.”

Developed with Drone Manufacturers

FLIR worked with drone manufacturers Vantage Robotics and Teal Drones to develop the Hadron, ensuring that it’s ideal for use on lightweight drone airframes.

Vantage Robotics integrated Hadron into its micro-gimbal platform featuring its proprietary stabilization technology, offering a dual-sensor, OEM solution for existing UAS airframes and potentially other robotic platforms.

“Hadron is far and away the lightest and smallest combined visible-thermal sensor that has ever been commercially available,” said Tobin Fisher, CEO at Vantage Robotics. “For an aircraft where you’re trying to push the limit on flight performance, every gram matters. The ability to get these sensor capabilities in a package this small makes an enormous difference.”

Teal has also integrated Hadron within its 2-pound (1 kilogram) Golden Eagle UAS platform, taking advantage of the module’s compact size to create a lightweight yet dynamic payload that helps preserve battery life and maximize flight time on a small airframe.

“Hadron enables us to speed development and time-to- market for small airframes with thermal and visual sensors,” said Teal Drones CEO and founder, George Matus. “It’s high quality, low weight, and compact size allows for rapid integration to quickly develop prototypes.”

The FLIR Hadron is available for purchase worldwide today on FLIR.com and through FLIR authorized distributors. To learn more, please visit www.flir.com/hadron/