Inertial Labs awarded SBIR Phase III contract for CAPSS

Inertial Labs has been awarded an SBIR Phase III contract by the Army Applications Laboratory of Army Futures Command. This award supports Inertial Labs development, design and fabrication of the Cannon Artillery Pointing and Sighting System (CAPSS) for potential use on the U.S. Army’s Paladin and the extended range cannon artillery (ERCA) vehicles.

The CAPSS aims to dramatically reduce weight on the target vehicle platforms by providing a digital replacement for the vehicle’s current panoramic telescope (PANTEL). The PANTEL is used as a sighting system for the gun when the fire control system is inoperable. The CAPSS prototype is being designed to physically replace the PANTEL.

CAPSS is a collection of cameras, inertial measurement units (IMUs), advanced electronics and an intuitive tablet-based user interface. Designed to digitally mirror the PANTEL, the CAPSS system allows soldiers to emulate all PANTEL functions via the tablet, bypassing the need to physically manage the telescope.

More than 400 lbs in equipment weight is eliminated by replacing the current equipment with CAPSS, which improves the vehicle’s operational efficiency. Additionally, the features integrated within CAPSS eliminate the need for warfighters to leave the vehicle cabin for typical aiming and sighting activities connected to the PANTEL setup, such as working with the auto-collimator. All of the functionalities are inherently embedded in the CAPSS, which simplifies operations.

The CAPSS camera technology is also used for semi-automated ranging capabilities. Warfighters can effortlessly zoom in on specific objects, offer estimated data based on the object’s attributes, such as size estimation, and the system will generate the estimated range to that particular object.

Looking ahead, Inertial Labs plans to continue research on optical/inertial-based GPS-denied navigation designed for land vehicles, integrating both camera systems and inertial sensor data.