The contribution of WOLF Advanced Technology to the QueSST program, which aims to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly at supersonic speed, without the signature loud sonic booms associated with exceeding the speed of sound, has been highlighted by NASA Spinoff 2024.
To reduce noise, the body of NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology experimental plane is so streamlined that it has no windshield. A forward-facing view is provided to the pilot via technology that aims to replicate the acuity of human eyesight. Two WOLF video graphics boards contributed to this eXternal Vision System (XVS) that raises the standard for flight camera video quality.
In the article, Artificial Eyes Give Pilots a New Worldview NASA Spinoff describes the two WOLF video graphics boards explaining; “WOLF was one of the companies NASA contracted to help build the eXternal Vision System (XVS). The project required a new video-processing technology that the company has now added to its product line. This FGX2 hardware is included in many WOLF products, said Greg Maynard, chief technology officer.”
The WOLF FGX2 hardware mentioned in the article is included in the XMC-FGX2-SDI-4IO (WOLF-3180), which utilizes WOLF’s next-gen technology, supports both 4K and distributed video, and has up to 8x processing bandwidth compared to the previous FGX.
The XMC-FGX2-8IO (WOLF-3183) is another related product that incorporates WOLF’s FGX2 UHD-capable technology. The 4K-capable digital and analog frame grabber is built on the Xilinx® Kintex® UltraScale+™ series of FPGA devices. Suited for machine vision, synthetic vision and video processing applications, this product is ideal for deployment in harsh environments.
The article went on to comment; “commercial space companies can now use the WOLF technologies in their vehicles to meet rising demand for UHD resolution. Maynard credits NASA with being ahead of the industry, giving the company a chance to develop the technology early.”
Speaking of the project Greg Maynard said; “It was an honor to collaborate with NASA on this revolutionary aviation technology breakthrough.”
The article can be found on page 7 of the full pdf: NASA Spinoff 2024.
