VIO F1 EO/IR camera payload with 4K zoom camera, radiometric thermal camera and laser rangefinder

The VIO F1 is an EO/IR camera payload for drones from Gremsy, built around a 4K zoom EO camera, a radiometric thermal camera from Teledyne FLIR and an integrated laser rangefinder. It is part of the VIO Series, is NDAA compliant and is included in the Thermal by FLIR program. The complete dual-sensor unit weighs 854 g, the figure to check against the payload budget of the host aircraft.

The payload serves inspection, mapping, surveying and public safety missions on uncrewed aircraft. Zoom is available in both thermal and optical modes. The thermal channel supports assets and infrastructure inspection, disaster relief, firefighting, search and rescue and urban safety. EO object tracking auto-tracks and auto-centers a selected object and keeps it framed while the operator zooms or moves the gimbal. AI detection identifies objects such as cars and humans during tracking, and AI auto zoom adjusts the zoom level as the object moves closer or farther away.

The EO camera is a Sony 4K block zoom camera that records 4K video at 30 fps and offers super resolution zoom plus a higher maximum zoom. The thermal camera is a FLIR Boson radiometric core with a 14 mm effective focal length, fixed focus and a 32° horizontal field of view, with digital zoom available in the thermal image. Its thermal sensitivity of 50 mK or better allows precise temperature detection, which matters when small temperature differences must be resolved during inspection or search and rescue. The laser rangefinder reaches its longest range at a low measurement rate, while a higher rate is recommended for object detection at shorter distances. Combined with the aircraft's GPS, the range data can be used to determine the exact position of targets in rescue missions.

For integration, the VIO F1 is plug-and-play and supports MAVLink drones. Video can be streamed over HDMI or Ethernet RTSP, and media files can be retrieved directly over Ethernet. Geotagging embeds data into images, and a Payload SDK gives access to payload information and control through libraries for specific applications. Electronic image stabilization is included. The unit is marked for a 14–52 V supply. An NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX processor runs the payload functions and leaves room for custom feature extensions.

Operators control the payload through the Payload Assistant app, an overlay software that lets them zoom, select tracked objects by touching the remote screen, change gimbal modes, take images and view videos. Camera view modes include EO, IR, EO/IR, IR/EO and SYNC.

The VIO F1 is NDAA compliant. It is assembled in the US and distributed by Gremsy US, while the related VIO G1 variant is assembled in Vietnam. Typical applications include infrastructure and asset inspection, industrial diagnostics, surveying, firefighting, search and rescue and public safety operations.