Night-vision Systems See Through Murky Investment Landscape
August 11, 2003

By James Klein, Larta VOX Editor

Night-vision goggles bring to mind images of high-tech spies like James Bond, surveying the villa of his evil nemesis, or military squads like the Navy Seals, creeping onto a beach by cover of darkness, but manufacturers of low-cost night-vision systems have vast potential markets and customers that include law enforcement agencies and private security companies.

An independent marketing report expects the annual sales of night-vision goggles and pocket scopes to reach $750 million by 2004. Some estimates state the market will increase by 15% in the next year alone, due to the Homeland Security Act and increased interest in new technologies by both public safety and private security firms.

Almost a trillion dollars is spent each year on national defense by the world's nations, roughly 40% by the U.S. alone. While much of it is used to finance standing military forces, a substantial amount is spent on technology and hardware. Spending on U.S. national defense neared $400 billion for FY 2003. Spending on the related budget category of homeland security increased dramatically as well, from $19.5 billion in FY 2001 to $37.7 billion in FY 2003. In addition to the rapid increases in its yearly budget, the Pentagon has also been the biggest beneficiary of the $68.9 billion in emergency and supplemental spending approved since the September 11th attacks, receiving about $30 billion in this way. President Bush's fiscal 2004 budget calls for more substantial increases in defense and homeland security programs.

Surveillance systems with night-vision technology are increasingly being used by city police departments. Baltimore, Tampa, and Washington DC have put surveillance cameras in high-crime neighborhoods to deter criminal behavior and aid in the arrest of suspects. Chicago installed a system that can be accessed by officers through laptops in their squad cars. Chicago's system uses cameras that are protected by bullet-proof glass, can rotate 360 degrees, focus on activity four blocks away, and can see at night.

The private security industry is also expected to grow. Despite the reported declines in violent crime in major American cities, security is still a major concern. This has lead to the increased use of surveillance systems in gated communities and offices. Growth in the residential market is also expected, as new homes are increasingly equipped with surveillance systems to protect the residence and its occupants.

The original night-vision system, created by the Army and used in World War II and Korea, used active infrared technology. The unit projected a beam of near-infrared light, similar to the beam in a normal flashlight. Later systems used passive infrared. Dubbed "Starlight" by the Army, who developed it for use in Vietnam, it used ambient light provided by the moon and stars to augment the normal amounts of reflected infrared in the environment. The next generation of night-vision appeared in the late 1960s for military use and was able to view objects even on a moonless night. The current generation of tubes appeared in 1988, and uses thermal imaging technology, which does not rely on light but rather detects heat energy.

One company that designs and manufactures low-cost night-vision systems is Vision Intelligence, Inc., which helped the Chicago Police Department develop a covert system used against drug dealing in federal project buildings.

Vision Intelligence's system has several advantages over other existing products. One advantage is its relatively low purchase price. A pair of military-quality night-vision goggles costs about $11,000. Personal-use goggles run between $1,500 and $3,000. Thermal imaging devices generally cost between $9,000 and $14,000. Vision Intelligence sells its products for considerably less than any of these available systems. Another advantage is that their products are not affected by light. Current night-vision gear often suffers from "flare ups" if light enters the lens. With Vision Intelligence's products, users can view a darkened room while standing in sunlight.

Vision Technology's Illuminight products solve many of the problems experienced with both image tube devices and thermal imaging products, and unlike many other military-use technologies, Vision Intelligence's products are not subject to export licensing, which allows them to be easily shipped to a worldwide market. The company has relationships in twelve countries, including Holland, France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Ireland and Australia.

Vision Intelligence has gained traction within the public safety sector and at all levels of government, and has also generated interest in the commercial market. Its products can easily be adapted for use in office buildings, homes, and other areas typically covered by private security firms. One reason its products are popular with security and law enforcement is that Vision Intelligence marries its night-vision technology to closed-circuit video systems for sustained surveillance.

The defense industry is a promising market for Vision Intelligence as the military looks at advanced night-vision technology is to help it adapt to the 3D topography of urban warfare. The addition of sensory data available to and from the individual operator is necessary to track personnel movements, identify targets, and report environmental conditions. Operational command will greatly benefit from this "precision awareness" in real time, as will the troops as the company's equipment allows wireless transmissions between users. The Chesterfield County Sheriff's SWAT team in Virginia has placed a second order for Vision Intelligence's equipment for just this reason.

By combining new and existing technologies, Vision Intelligence is planning a system that can "patrol" large areas with Sensory Intelligent Electronic Sentry Pods (SIES). Each of these pods can operate independently 24 hours a day, have a 10-year life, and can cover a radius of from 50 feet to 10 miles. These systems will integrate acoustic processing, image processing, motion/presence processing, event recognition and classification, electro-magnetic "fences", video processing, and multiple telemetry technologies. They will be designed to be land-based, or airborne via fixed wing or ROV aircraft. The SIES pods are designed for use in wide area surveillance (perimeters and borders), and high collateral density areas (mass transit depots, airports, stadiums, parking areas, tunnels, bridges, etc.).

The company's Illuminight 3000 model can provide a clear black and white video image in starlight conditions at a range of up to 600 feet and provide the operator with a combination of real-time sensory data, such as GPS location (both operator and target), compass heading, range to target, FOF (friend or foe), "Micro ChemLab chip", ambient temperature, and a variety of status conditions, such as battery, camera, and telemetry link (cell, satellite, etc.). Vision Intelligence also offers long-range active and passive capabilities, with increased night vision ranges from one-half to one mile and beyond in a compact, light-weight, shoulder stabilized unit.

Vision Intelligence has filed for several patents in regards to their Illuminight technology, including a patent pending for assembly of components in 2002, and two pending trademark applications.

Vision Intelligence can be contacted through its website at http://www.visionintelligence.net/, by calling 562-983-8009, or by writing to Robert Aubery at raubery@visionintelligence.net.

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