Airborne EO/IR surveillance camera from Controp watches over 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
An airborne electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) surveillance payload made by Controp Precision Technologies (Hod Hasharon, Israel) is being used for security at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the company said. Controp's SHAPO EO/IR payload is installed on the ADB-150 aerostat (a tethered blimp) that is is deployed above the Olympics area and is supporting the Brazilian Air Force security mission. The ADB-150 aerostat carrying Controp's SHAPO EO/IR surveillance payload was launched August 9th, 2016, by Airship do Brasil, a company of Bertolini's Holdings, in cooperation with the Brazilian Air Force, to provide continuous surveillance and monitoring of the Olympics area.
Before the start of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the SHAPO system was deployed as part of a surveillance operation with Air Force University (UNIFA) security systems at Afonsos Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro for the protection of the training center for athletes competing in the Rio Olympics. The SHAPO is a gyro-stabilized three-gimbal camera payload designed for surveillance and observation on a variety of airborne platforms that include aerostats, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The payload includes a high-sensitivity color day camera and a thermal imaging camera with a continuous optical zoom lens.
The SHAPO can also include an optional laser rangefinder and/or laser pointer as well as a mission-management moving map system. It is also manufactured in maritime and land versions.
Source: Controp
John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)
John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.