A California-based company has developed a live aerial HD system that can be mounted on helicopters for broadcast filming or police surveillance, The Washington Times reported. Images are of such high resolution that vehicle license plates can be read from 7,000 feet in the air, according to developer and helicopter pilot Alan Purwin of Helinet Aviation.
The system uses a Cineflex gimbaled camera mount, which pivots to almost any angle, and can use different lens sizes, such as long lenses for zooming in on specific targets. Inside the helicopter is a Windows CE Operating System to control recording, compress images from 300 megabits to 19.3 megabits, and transmit images. Also attached to the helicopter is a gyroscope-based antenna system, which is computer guided to lock onto a ground station to receive the compressed images.
The system was recently put to the test filming the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for TV news networks.