Avionics News April 2016 - 56

WHAT'S WORKING?

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They are certified for single pilot IFR operation, and in
addition to the hoist, they are equipped with night vision
goggles. According to Culberson, the NVGs were used by
both the helicopter pilots and the hoist crew.
"The NVGs were a great asset, enhancing the crew's
ability to perform the rescues at night in adverse weather
conditions," Culberson added.
Later that same year, a helicopter using night vision
goggles and a high-powered search light found a 5-yearold girl missing overnight near Tauranga, New Zealand.
"The girl went missing at Pyes Pa, 16 kilometers south
of the city of Tauranga, about 6:20 p.m. as the family
visited neighbors," said a spokeswoman for the BayTrust
Rescue Helicopter. A full-blown police search was in
progress by nightfall, with search and rescue teams being
brought in from Tauranga to help police officers and
local volunteers, she noted. The helicopter, using night
vision goggles and its 20 million candle power Nightsun
spotlight, found the girl in a clearing about 800 meters
from where she was last seen after a 30-minute search.
As the company grew, its founder began to receive more
recognition. In 2013, Atwood was given the NIGHTCON
Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual NIGHTCON
convention in Dallas, Texas, in front of a group of
helicopter operators from around the world, FAA officials
and members of the Night Vision Advisory Council.
Atwood was nominated from numerous members of
NVAC, who represent industry leaders in night vision, for
his contributions to the development and advancement of
night vision goggle use in civil operations.
"Mike truly has pioneered the use of NVGs in the civilian
world not only in North America, but also throughout the
world," said Jim Winkel, ASU president. "It was great to see
that Mike was recognized for his role in advancing the safety of
night vision operations by a group of leaders and experts from
our industry. He deserves to be recognized for all he has done."
The president and chief executive officer of the
Helicopter Association International, Matt Zuccaro, also
recognized Atwood for his achievements in a letter sent to
NIGHTCON to honor him.
ASU has not been shy about using advancing technology
to grow the business. In January, the company said it was
rebranding the compact night vision system as Ecliptus,
and it announced a Kickstarter campaign at the same time.
In order to appeal to a larger audience and customer
base, ASU rebranded its previously announced N16HT Pro
system as Ecliptus. The product is a wireless, recording
and image sharing night vision system.
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2016

"The Ecliptus is the first product designed and
developed by ASU that can be used in a variety of places
by a number of different people," Winkel said. "The
Ecliptus fully integrates and compactly couples a GoPro
camera with an intensified night vision-equipped device
without the necessity for large, optical relay lenses that
are commonly used today. This opens the device up to any
outdoor enthusiasts, weekend warriors, extreme sports
athletes and other consumers."
According to ASU, the Ecliptus offers a 40-degree
field of view, weighs less than 1 pound, is integrated with
the GoPro Hero 4 and captures images at 12 megapixels
with a burst mode at 30 frames per second. It captures
night vision images utilizing a military grade AN/PVS-14
objective lens, records in ultra-high definition, and stores
these images using a 16 GB SD card. Images and video
also can be viewed in real time using Wi-Fi-enabled smart
devices. The camera modes can be controlled using the
GoPro button controls and optionally from other remote
devices.
The company said the suggested retail price of the new
Ecliptus is $5,499, but it is being offered at a substantial
discount to early adopters through the Kickstarter campaign.
"Ecliptus leverages all of the capability of Hero 4,
combines it with battle-proven Generation III image
intensifier night vision technology, and empowers people,
businesses and governments to image, record and share
their nighttime experiences in a cool, compact and
affordable way," Winkel added. "This is going to be a hot
item for all the people who love the latest gadgets, cameras
and wireless innovations."
Atwood was impressed at how Kickstarter could be used
for a myriad of things.
"I don't know how we ever lived without cellphones,"
he said. "Kickstarter is something new, and a new way of
doing things; so why not?"
Although the ASU products receive substantial interest
from law enforcement agencies and the military, Atwood
thinks there may be interest in the sports world. Ecliptus
could be used for hiking, camping and other things, and
Kickstarter is one way to test the market.
NSU's willingness to try new things and experiment
has certainly worked well for the company. It continues
to invest in the development of innovative products and
solutions. In 2014, ASU began expanding its corporate
headquarters and staff to better serve customers around the
world who operate in the air, on land, and by sea - more
good people. q
To learn more about Aviation Specialties Unlimited,
visit asu-nvg.com.

http://www.asu-nvg.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2016