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40 Focus | Thermal imaging sensors rough age of each animal based on the shape of their thermal signature. And as NIR is sensitive to the reflectivity of different objects, it can be used to classify different forms of vegetation to reveal which regional sub-biomes animals tend to favour. The LWIR could also recognise humans trespassing in protected areas, potentially indicating poachers. In this case, combining other sensors with the LWIR is key, as many objects will generate thermal signatures, and that will give rise to false positives that the visual and NIR are needed to distinguish between. Conclusion Ongoing r&d in thermal sensor architectures has opened up a plethora of new kinds of data for unmanned vehicles to gather, allowing them to contribute to organisational effectiveness and sustainability in ways previously unthought of. That is likely to continue as innovation in the technology continues. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Mike Walters of FLIR, Conor Kelly of Sierra Olympic, Jordan Holt and Steve Olson of Sightline Applications, and Greg Davis of Overwatch Imaging for their help with researching this article. February/March 2020 | Unmanned Systems Technology AUSTRALIA Applied Infrared Sensing +61 1300 557 205 www.applied-infrared.com.au AVT Australia +61 265 811 994 www.ascentvision.com.au CZECH REPUBLIC Workswell +420 725 877 063 www.workswell-thermal-camera.com ESTONIA Threod Systems +372 512 1154 www.threod.com FRANCE Device-ALab +33 456 4006 00 www.device-alab.com Merio UAV Payload Systems +33 428 3700 27 www.merio.fr Thales +33 157 7780 00 www.thalesgroup.com GERMANY Kappa Optronics +49 5508 974 0 www.kappa-optronics.com ISRAEL CONTROP +972 9744 0661 www.controp.com NextVision Stabilized Systems +972 77 534 2041 www.nextvision-sys.com Ophir Optics +972 2548 4444 www.ophir-opt.com LATVIA UAV Factory +371 25378122 www.uavfactory.com SOUTH KOREA Unetware +82 02790 7830 www.unetware.com THE NETHERLANDS DRONExpert +31 224 799182 www.dronexpert.nl UK BAE Systems +44 1252 373232 www.baesystems.com Flytron +44 1227 634434 www.flytron.com Micro-Epsilon +44 151 3556070 www.micro-epsilon.co.uk Thermoteknix +44 1223 204000 www.thermoteknix.com USA AeroVironment +1 805 520 8350 www.avinc.com Ascent Vision Technologies +1 406 388 2092 www.ascentvision.com Collins Aerospace +1 619 691 4111 www.collinsaerospace.com FLIR +1 503 498 3547 www.flir.com Infrared Cameras +1 866 861 0788 www.infraredcameras.com OBSETECH +1 628 900 3018 www.obsetech.com Overwatch Imaging +1 541 716 4832 www.overwatchimaging.com Sierra Olympic +1 855 222 1801 www.sierraolympic.com Sightline Applications +1 541 716 5137 www.sightlineapplications.com PrecisionHawk +1 844 328 5326 www.precisionhawk.com UAV Propulsion Tech +1 810 441 1457 www.uavpropulsiontech.com VT MAK +1 617 876 8085 www.mak.com Examples of thermal sensors manufacturers and suppliers