EmberScope

Payload concept

A complete camera inside the payload boundary

EmberScope carries a first mechanical, thermal, power, and environmental allocation for fitting optics, detector, electronics, housing, mounting, and calibration hardware inside the 150 mm, sub-2 kg drone payload boundary.

Review allocation Review optics Read calibration strategy

Payload budget

The 150 mm cube is allocated to a complete camera, not only to the mirror train.

150 mm Whole-payload cube target, including housing, window, mount, electronics, and service clearance.
< 2 kg Complete package target, with a 0.32 kg management reserve kept visible.
149.6 mm Optimized four-mirror optical span (10 June 2026). The envelope is now an active constraint: housing and clearance must share what remains of the cube.
15 W Early design ceiling for detector, compute, interface, anti-condensation allowance, and reserve.
EmberScope payload allocation inside a 150 mm cube Block diagram showing optics, detector, electronics, window, housing, calibration reference, heat path, and drone adapter inside a 150 millimetre payload envelope. 150 mm payload cube housing, seals, mounts, and service clearance included Folded optics mirrors, stops, baffles Detector Boson+ branch Electronics capture, storage, timing Calibration reference LWIR window service boundary Heat path base conduction Drone adapter
The diagram is a payload allocation guide, not an enclosure drawing.
Subsystem Mass allocation Package allocation Design rule
Optical train, mirror cells, stops, and baffles 0.32 kg About 100 mm x 100 mm x 75 mm central optical bay Leave real clearance around the compact proof span for mounts, blackening, fasteners, and datums.
Detector core, carrier, shutter/reference allowance, thermal block 0.12 kg About 45 mm x 45 mm x 35 mm detector-side bay Use the Boson+ lensless path without forgetting carrier, cabling, and reference hardware.
Compute, storage, timing, geotag, and interface electronics 0.22 kg Side or rear electronics bay Preserve raw-frame capture, calibration state, alerts, and validation logs onboard.
Housing, weather sealing, LWIR window, and forebay 0.42 kg Full envelope boundary with wall and seal allowance Make the window the serviceable contamination boundary for smoke, dust, drizzle, and cleaning marks.
Drone adapter, vibration isolation, base plate, and trim 0.28 kg Bottom adapter zone Keep drone brackets separate from the optical datum structure.
Thermal spreader, straps, sensors, and passive margin 0.20 kg Conductive path to base and shaded housing faces Start passive and let radiometry decide whether active thermal control is needed.
Harness, connectors, fasteners, labels, and field-reference allowance 0.12 kg Distributed service allowance Reserve room for power/data strain relief, bench access, and reference-target handling.
Management reserve 0.32 kg Unassigned mass and volume margin Protect the sub-2 kg target from underestimated housing, bracket, and environmental-protection mass.

Mechanical concept

A sealed optical cassette sits inside a serviceable outer payload.

The first payload layout should separate the precision optical frame from the drone adapter and weather shell. Mirror cells, detector datum, and internal stops belong to a bench-aligned cassette; window service, connector protection, and drone-specific brackets belong to the outer package.

The field concept avoids many operator adjustments. Factory align the cassette, lock the mirrors, leave one controlled detector-focus compensation if needed, and use calibration metadata to flag drift.

Power and thermal path

The first payload budget targets 8-12 W steady operation and holds 15 W as the design ceiling.

Detector and carrier

1 W is reserved for the low-SWaP detector branch plus carrier, interface, and shutter or reference handling.

Compute and storage

5 W supports raw thermal capture, candidate detection, local logging, and metadata stamping.

Interface and telemetry

2 W covers alert packets, status, and integration electronics without assuming continuous high-rate downlink.

Thermal allowance

2 W is reserved for anti-condensation, cold-start, or reference-target stability if field tests need it.

Field environment

The payload response is tied to the fireground exposures that can break thermal evidence.

Exposure Payload response Validation implication
Vibration and propwash Use a vibration-isolated adapter, locked mirror cells, strain relief, and a bench-vibration check. Translate optical sensitivity into acceptance limits for tilt, decentre, and focus shift.
Dust, ash, smoke residue, insects, and grass seeds Put a replaceable or cleanable LWIR-compatible window ahead of the optical cassette. Record window state, cleaning time, and post-clean reference frames in validation exports.
Light rain, humidity, and condensation Seal the cassette boundary, protect the connector, and reserve anti-condensation power. Field tests must include humidity notes, window checks, and rejected-frame flags.
Sun, hot vehicles, and warm fireground surfaces Use a light exterior finish, passive conduction to base, and temperature telemetry. Radiometry tests need warm-housing and cooling-after-flight cases.
Cleaning and service handling Make the window serviceable without disturbing mirror alignment. Operational procedures should separate window cleaning from optical realignment.

Next decision

The next mechanical artifact should be a block model, not a finished enclosure.

A payload envelope drawing or CAD block model should show the optical cassette, detector bay, electronics bay, serviceable LWIR window, base adapter, heat path, connector side, and field reference allowance.

That block model is needed before the optical prescription is final. It keeps future image-quality work from spending the mass, baffle, thermal, and service margins that make the camera usable on a drone.