May 5, 2016
Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R), an R&D focused women-owned business at Stennis Space Center, was the first in South Mississippi to get FAA approval to fly UAVs under 200 feet for commercial purposes. The FAA recently raised the limit to 400 feet.
I2R’s UAVs are equipped with hi tech cameras that create ultra-high resolution images that replicate in detail the features of the areas they fly over. The small drones can fly over hard-to-reach places and into areas not safe for people to enter.
I2R flies the UAVs to improve methods and instruments used to capture ultra-high resolution imagery for mapping and other applications. The added height helps the onboard cameras take in a larger area in one shot. “It increases the area we can cover in flight by a factor of 4 in a single image,” said Dr. Bob Ryan, chief technical officer.
On April 28, NASA announced it had chosen I2R to negotiate for a contract to further develop high dynamic range or HDR high speed video technology. NASA wants the HDR video to record its rocket propulsion testing. “We are coming up with new technology to do high speed video by modifying the camera hardware at the chip level,” said Mary Pagnutti, I2R president. “I2R is interested in incorporating this technology on UAVs.”
She and Ryan founded the company in 2007. I2R is based in the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology business incubator at Stennis. They had previously provided instrument calibration services for NASA’s satellite and aircraft-based Earth remote sensing program.
IR2 works with high tech industries, universities and the government who need ultra-high resolution images by developing and customizing cameras and other instruments for them.
Ryan said capturing HDR video from a UAV would open up new applications for the drones such as monitoring strip mining and scanning bodies of water where bright sunlight hampers recording clear images.
I2R also calibrates digital cameras, develops custom image processing algorithms and builds customized instrumentation.
About Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission
As the county economic development authority, the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission is committed to fostering business investment and job creation. Their focus lies in attracting manufacturing, defense, aviation, and aerospace-related projects to the county. The organization manages the Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park while also providing support to the Stennis Space Center, NASA’s leading facility for rocket engine testing.
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