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CVAK 

Compact Vision & Awareness Kit
Modular vision and awareness kit for UGVs & manned vehicles

01

LSAS

360 AWARENESS

Local Situational Awareness: Enables 360° near-field awareness using rugged low-light day/night and thermal cameras. LSAS improves operator understanding of the UGV’s surroundings and supports real-time video distribution for mission systems and control stations.

02

DVE

DRIVER VISION 

Driver Vision Enhancement: Optimized for operation in degraded visual environments such as darkness, smoke, sand, dust, and fog. DVE leverages thermal imaging and flexible video layouts – helping operators navigate and make decisions with confidence.

03

INTEGRATION

READY

Integration-ready architecture: Standardized system design and interface flexibility enable smooth integration into UGV payloads, remote operator stations, and broader mission networks.

Kit Configuration for UGVs

The CST CVAK Basic combines four compact cameras positioned around the platform with the CORTEX Enhance as the central processing unit.

Configuration example

  • Front compact camera for primary driving view (FOV 47-95°)

  • Side and rear compact cameras for terrain awareness and reversing (FOV 47-95°)

  • CORTEX Enhance for video reception, processing, distribution, and display configuration

UGV Camera Setup Top View

CORTEX - Central Processing

CORTEX Enhance

  • Inputs: Up to 4x HD-SDI video streams
  • Outputs: 1x H.264 video streams & 1x HD-SDI / Analog (Optional)
  • Network: Ethernet video reception and distribution
  • Control: Camera and monitor control embedded via Ethernet
  • Power distribution: 4x camera channels

CORTEX Basic

  • Inputs: Up to 4x HD-SDI video streams
  • Outputs: 1x H.264 video streams or 1x HD-SDI (Optional)
  • Network: 1Gbit Ethernet distribution
  • Control: Control embedded via Ethernet
  • Power distribution: 4x camera channels

Modular Configuration Options

  • Visible compact cameras for day/night navigation and local awareness

  • Thermal cameras for low-visibility and target/obstacle detection

  • Dual-vision configurations combining visible and thermal imaging

  • Flexible camera placement based on platform geometry and mission profile

Capabilities at a Glance

High-Resolution Visibility in Low-Light Conditions

Dual‑Spectrum Capability
– Combines visible and NIR sensors for improved image clarity in low-light or nighttime environments

High-Fidelity Detail
– Supports accurate object recognition and tracking, enhancing situational awareness

Seamless Integration –
 Compatible with CST’s sensor fusion platforms, enabling NIR + thermal or visible video overlay

Short-wave infrared – Detection of difficult-to-spot drones in fog, haze, and glare.

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging (0.9–1.7 µm) penetrates visual obstructions, such as fog, smoke, and haze, making it ideal for detecting airborne threats in degraded environments.

Dual‑Spectrum Capability
– Combines visible and SWIR sensors for improved image clarity in low-light or nighttime environments

Sees Through Fog, Smoke & Haze
– Detects reflected SWIR light to reveal targets invisible to visible or thermal cameras.

Low-Light & Covert Operation
– Functions in total darkness with passive or laser-assisted (invisible) illumination.

Material Discrimination
– Identifies contrasts in camouflage, coatings, and fabrics – useful in defense, surveillance, and inspection missions.

Thermal Imaging 

Reliable heat-based tracking for day, night, and degraded environments

LWIR (8–14 µm)

  • Excellent for passive detection in low-light or no-light conditions

  • Uses uncooled microbolometers — rugged, compact, and cost-effective

Ruggedized & Open-Frame Systems

Guaranteed Longevity & Reliability

  • Fully sealed systems designed for extreme conditions and continuous operation

  • Up to 20 years of operational lifespan for defense and industrial applications

Best-in-Class Boresight Precision

  • Down to 0.1 mrad accuracy throughout the zoom axis

  • Stable performance from –40 °C to +70 °C, even under recoil and vibration

Flexible Integration – Rugged or Open-Frame

  • Choose between ruggedized housings or compact open-frame modules

  • Ideal for turret systems, pan/tilt units, mobile platforms, or embedded system builds

H.264 Streaming – Direct IP-video delivery for faster system integration.

Our cameras support H.264 streaming over Ethernet, eliminating the need for external encoders and simplifying integration.

Let’s configure the right UGV optics

Talk to CST about a camera package tailored to your UGV platform and mission profile.
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