Rotorcraft Report: Pushing Persistence

ALEA 2008

Persistent Surveillance Systems made its aviation industry debut at ALEA.

It brought along its high-altitude, aircraft-based, video surveillance system, which the company describes as being "like a live version of Google Earth with TiVo capability."

Onlookers gathered at the company’s booth to watch footage of a recent police operation captured by its system for a major police department. In the video, the initial camera angle gave a live, four-square block, look-down view of an inner-city neighborhood. As the suspects began to flee, the camera zoomed in, filling the monitor with a crystal clear view of the foot pursuit, apprehension and arrival of back-up units. Ross McNutt, an astronautical engineer and president of Xenia, Ohio-based Persistent Surveillance, said the system is available for sale and installation aboard almost any helicopter.

Persistent Surveillance Systems contracts its services to public agencies and event organizers, citing the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore and NASCAR as recent clients.