• Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the images. Higher values result in a lighter image.

  • Min: 0 Max: 255 Default: 128

• Contrast: Adjusts image contrast. Higher values result in more contrast.

  • Min: 0 Max: 255 Default: 128

• Sharpen: Adjusts the edge sharpening filter to bring out edges within an image. Higher values increase the sharpening effect.

  • Min: 0 Max: 15 Default: 0

• Denoise: This averages the image over time with image-to-image registration to dampen possible disruptive visual effects such as heat shimmer, scintillation, and turbulence.

  • Min: 0 Max: 255 Default: 0

• AGC ROI: Adjusts the region of interest (ROI) when performing automatic gain corrections. This percentage controls the percentage of the frame used for AGC. The default performs AGC on the entire frame.

  • Min: 0 Max: 100 Default: 100

• Manual AGC: This option freezes the current AGC settings.

  • Options:

    • On

    • Off

  • Default: Off

• Gas Detection: This setting controls gas enhancement mode (GEM), which enhances and colorizes gas detectable by the OGI sensor.

  • Options:

    • On

    • Off

  • Default: Off

• Stabilization Mode: Enables digital stabilization.

  • Options:

    • On

    • Off

  • Default: Off

• Enhancement Mode: Two different contrast enhancement modes are available: CLAHE and LAP. Once an enhancement mode is selected, additional settings can be configured to configure it. Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) brings out hard-to-see (low contrast) features in the video, including those with brighter and darker areas.

Local Area Processing (LAP) brings out hard-to-see (low-contrast) features. LAP emphasizes differences from the local image average to provide an increased amount of detail in low-contrast areas of a video or image. The algorithm makes details visible in underexposed or overexposed portions of the image.

• Strength:

  • In CLAHE, the Strength parameter controls the contrast limit. A larger value allows the algorithm to map a larger contrast but can also tend to bring out more noise.

  • In LAP, the Strength parameter controls the kernel size used in the processing. A larger value provides more enhancement. Values are between 0 (minimal enhancement) and 18 (maximum enhancement). For LAP mode, there are no additional enhancement benefits after 18.

  • Min: 0 Max: 128 Default: 0

• Alpha Blend: This allows mixing (alpha blending) the output of the enhancement algorithm with the input to the Enhance Stage. This allows a user to soften the effects of the contrast enhancement stage. Higher values blend more of the enhanced image, while lower values use less of it.

  • Min: 0 Max: 1.0 Default: 0.8

• NUC Table: The OGI has two NUC tables that provide optimum performance for different scene temperature ranges. You may switch between them anytime using the NUC Table radio buttons in WIND Viewer. A shorter integration time is recommended in the overlapping range of 25°C – 40°C (where either table is applicable).

  • Options:

    • Table 0

    • Table 1

  • Default: Table 1

• FFC: The Ventus OGI offers a 1-point FFC (flat field offset correction) using an internal shutter and two 2-point NUC (gain) tables. An FFC should be performed to remove spatial noise and non-uniformities, which may develop as the camera and optics reach a stable operating temperature. Select Run to execute an FFC.

• Color Palette: Various false-color palettes may be applied to the video.

  • Options:
  • Default: None

Weather

• While Astro can fly in the rain, the Ventus OGI camera requires more stable conditions for leak detection, so we do not recommend flying in any precipitation.

• Sensor cooling:

  • It takes approximately 10 minutes for the camera’s cryocooler to reach a stable operating temperature. During this time, the imager may display a cool-down pattern.

• The Astro's operational temperature range is -20C to +50C.

Checks

• Check that the payload is secured in the Smart Dovetail mount and that the safety latch is closed.

• When you’re ready to fly, perform the standard preflight checks for Astro (found below).

Gas Enhancement Mode (GEM) On/Off may be mapped to a Pilot Pro button for easy GEM toggling. Follow the instructions below to configure your Pilot Pro.

1. Open AMC.

2. To access the Controller settings menu, tap the Auterion logo at the upper left of AMC and then tap Controller.

1. Switch to the Joystick settings and pick Next Custom Action Camera 1 for the button you want to use. In the screenshots below, the button R2 on the right-hand Pilot Pro grip is used. The Joystick screen will show button presses to show Pilot Pro button mapping to AMC buttons 0-14. Press any button on Pilot Pro to illuminate the corresponding AMC button number.

1. GEM mode may now be toggled on/off by pressing the assigned button.

Ventus OGI Payload Hardware Overview

Learn more about the Astro aircraft here:

The Ventus OGI Payload comprises a Freefly gimbal and an integrated Sierra-Olympia Ventus OGI camera core. It was developed for Astro and other vehicles compatible with the Freefly Smart Dovetail and the Pixhawk Payload Bus standard. More information about how to interface this payload with another aircraft is available here:

Updating Astro and Herelink

Installing & Removing the OGI Payload from Astro:

Viewing Media

Images and videos can be previewed in the gallery in AMC during or after a flight.

Images from the camera are saved as JPEGs and opened in most photo software. Video is saved in MPEG-TS format with embedded KLV data.

USB Drive

All media is saved to the USB drive on Astro. To download photos and videos from the USB drive, remove it from Astro and insert it into a computer. Files are organized by flight in time-stamped folders.

Precise Control

Live Inspection

• Astro's flight path is displayed with a red line on the map in AMC, which can help you see the area the aircraft has already covered.

• Live video from the aircraft to the Auterion Suite is possible with a strong LTE connection. Additional information on setting up LTE on Astro is here:

• The Ventus OGI camera provides a 640x480 infrared image with a 1-8x digital zoom. When approaching an object of interest, we recommend keeping the aircraft a safe distance away and zooming in as much as needed to see the detail level required for inspections.

• When using Slow Speed Mode, camera tilt and pan are scaled with the zoom rate, so the control inputs become less sensitive the more zoomed the camera is.