SRC Computers to provide solutions for PI TrackR program

SRC Computers, Inc., a leader in reconfigurable computing systems, has announced that it has been selected to provide processors for the Precision Image Tracking and Registration (PI TrackR) program developed by the Air Force Research Lab's (AFRL) Sensors Directorate. SRC's COTS Portable MAPstations will be flown on-board small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with high resolution cameras connected directly to the MAP processor's GPIOX port, providing real-time high pixel count imaging and metadata to track pilot/operator identified targets.

SRC's Portable MAPstations are lightweight powerful solutions in a small form factor for compute-intensive processing. The Portable MAPstation solutions for PI TrackR weigh less than four pounds and measure only 120 cubic inches, while delivering 9.6 Gbytes per second of direct sensor I/O bandwidth. The systems will be programmed using SRC’s Carte high-level language development environment.

"Processing on-board small UAVs is exactly what we had in mind when the Portable MAPstation was originally developed," said Jon Huppenthal, President and CEO of SRC Computers. "The Portable MAPstation's compact size, extreme compute capability, programmer-friendly software environment, and high bandwidth direct sensor connections can perform on-board image processing that is not possible with microprocessors alone. The ability to process the sensor information in-flight versus losing precious time while the data is relayed to a ground station is quite significant."

The first flights of the PI TrackR program are scheduled for mid-year 2008.