HQ-100D three-axis gimbal camera
The entry point to full roll-stabilised zoom and thermal imaging under a kilogram. Because it uses the same stabilisation stack and control protocol as the rest of the HQ series, it can share a mount and a cable run with other heads in the range.
- Weight 800 g
- Three-axis stabilised
- EO 1920 × 1080
- Thermal 640 × 512
- AI detection & tracking
- CE / RoHS documentation available on request
- Export compliance statement available on request
- Calibration and test report supplied with every unit
What the HQ-100D is
The HQ-100D is the configuration we recommend when the mission needs EO plus IR at 800 g. The entry point to full roll-stabilised zoom and thermal imaging under a kilogram. Optics, servo hardware, stabilisation firmware and the AI module are developed in house, so the optical set, the laser module or the mounting interface can be adapted for an OEM programme.
Core capabilities
The features that decide whether imagery is usable in the air, in the order an integrator usually checks them.
- Gyro-stabilised line of sight
Direct-drive brushless axes with high-resolution encoding hold the line of sight to ≤ 100 μrad (1σ), and the stabilisation loop reacts at ≥ 60°/s angular velocity so imagery stays steady in turbulence and rotor wash.
- Continuous optical zoom
The visible channel is 1920 × 1080, 10x zoom 4.7 – 47 mm. Continuous zoom keeps a wide search field and a tight identification field available without changing lenses, with autofocus and electronic image stabilisation at sub-pixel level.
- Uncooled thermal channel
640 × 512, 19 mm fixed, long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK, boresighted to the visible channel so both sensors point at the same target with no re-alignment in flight.
- Onboard AI detection
Person, vehicle, vessel and aircraft detection runs on the payload itself, with no dependency on the data link and no frames sent to a ground station for processing.
- Multi-target tracking
Lock and follow up to 20 targets at once, with anti-occlusion logic that re-acquires a target after it passes behind terrain, a mast or another object.
- Open integration
Ethernet video in H.264 or H.265, RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL control, SBUS and MAVLink on the aircraft side, plus on-board recording so imagery survives a broken link.
Stabilisation and mechanical design
Three axes, direct drive
Yaw, pitch and roll are each driven directly by brushless motors with high-resolution encoding, so there is no gear backlash or step noise in the video. The loop is specified at ≥ 60°/s angular velocity and holds the line of sight to ≤ 100 μrad (1σ).
800 g in Φ100 × 156 mm
The complete head weighs 800 g and measures Φ100 × 156 mm, with 11–28 VDC input and power consumption of 15 W / 30 W. That envelope lets multirotors, fixed-wing aircraft and small helicopters carry the payload without a bespoke mount.
On the aircraft
Mounting, cable routing and vibration isolation are agreed with the platform integrator, so the payload drops into an existing airframe interface instead of needing a bespoke mount.
Multi-sensor payload
Configured as EO plus IR. Each channel is boresighted to the others, so one target sits in the same place on every screen.
EO / visible
1920 × 1080, 10x zoom 4.7 – 47 mm
Detection 1.8 km person / 10 km vehicle.
Thermal / IR
640 × 512, 19 mm fixed
Detection 0.53 km person / 2.5 km vehicle.
Channel detail
A sensor specification on its own rarely answers the operational question, so each channel is described here with the distance it actually supports.
EO / visible
The visible channel is specified at 1920 × 1080, 10x zoom 4.7 – 47 mm. Detection distances for the visible channel are quoted at 1.8 km person / 10 km vehicle using the standard 1.7 m person and 2.3 m vehicle targets; recognition and identification distances are shorter and appear in the datasheet.
Thermal / IR
The thermal channel is 640 × 512, 19 mm fixed, uncooled long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK. Thermal detection is quoted at 0.53 km person / 2.5 km vehicle. Performance does not depend on daylight, which is what makes the channel useful for night operations and for scenes obscured by smoke or dust.
Detection and tracking at the edge
Onboard AI module
Person and vehicle detection, target lock and autonomous tracking share one module with common software across the family. Ground crews select a target on the operator screen and the payload holds it, which removes the workload of manual tracking on a long orbit.
What that means in the air
The operator sees a boxed target and a lock that survives occlusion rather than a raw feed. Because the module is common across the family, tracking behaviour does not change when the payload changes.
Tracking demonstration
Targets are boxed automatically as they appear, and the lock is held on the selected target even when it passes behind an obstruction.
Integration
One control protocol across the family
Every head in the range speaks the same control set, so moving from a two-axis to a three-axis payload, or adding a laser rangefinder, does not change the aircraft-side integration. The protocol document and video pipeline notes are supplied with the first unit.
Video, control and power
Video is carried as Ethernet in H.264 or H.265. The gimbal is controlled over RS-422, RS-232 or TTL with SBUS and MAVLink supported on the aircraft side, and power input is 11–28 VDC. Recording is handled on board, so the file exists even if the link drops.
Interface protocol document, video pipeline description and outline drawing are supplied with the first unit — ask the engineering team if you need them earlier for evaluation.
Full specifications
| Model | HQ-100D |
| Series | Gimbal Camera Series (HQ series) |
| Stabilisation | Three-axis gyro-stabilised, ≤ 100 μrad |
| Sensor configuration | EO + IR |
| Visible channel | 1920 × 1080, 10x zoom 4.7 – 47 mm |
| Thermal channel | 640 × 512, 19 mm fixed |
| Weight | ≤800 g |
| Dimensions | ≤Φ100 × 156 mm |
| Power consumption | 15 W / 30 W |
| Detection (EO) | 1.8 km person / 10 km vehicle |
| Detection (IR) | 0.53 km person / 2.5 km vehicle |
Detection distances follow the standard 1.7 m person / 2.3 m vehicle convention. Rows marked as shared are common across the HQ series.
Shared across the HQ series
- Video output: Ethernet, H.264 / H.265
- Gimbal control: RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL, SBUS, MAVLink
- Input voltage: 11–28 VDC
- Operating temperature: −20 °C to +60 °C
- Sealing: Sealed housing for dust, wind and rotor wash
- Recording: On-board recording, imagery retained if the link drops
- AI module: Onboard detection, classification and multi-target tracking
- Mounting: Quick-release interface, adapters available for OEM airframes
Three-view outline drawing with connector pinout, available on request.
Mounting, interfaces and environment
Airframe integration is the part of a payload programme that is easiest to get wrong, so these are the numbers engineers ask for first. Everything below applies to the HQ-100D.
Mechanical interface
The head mounts on a quick-release interface with a vibration-isolated gimbal base, and adapter plates are available for OEM airframes that do not share our bolt pattern. Mass and envelope are the catalogue limits for this head, so the aircraft-side budget can be checked before a prototype is built.
Electrical and data interface
Power, control and video are separated so the head can be flown from most autopilots: 11–28 VDC input, serial control on RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL, and video over Ethernet. On-board recording keeps the imagery even if the downlink drops.
| Payload mass | ≤800 g |
| Envelope | ≤Φ100 × 156 mm |
| Power consumption | 15 W / 30 W |
| Input voltage | 11–28 VDC |
| Data interfaces | Serial (RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL), Ethernet, SBUS |
| Video output | Ethernet, 100 Mbps, H.264 / H.265 |
| On-board storage | Up to 128 GB |
| Operating temperature | −20 °C to +60 °C |
| Storage temperature | −40 °C to +70 °C |
| Mounting | Quick-release interface, adapter plates for OEM airframes |
| Sealing | Sealed housing for dust, wind and rotor wash |
Input voltage, data interfaces, video output, temperature limits and on-board storage are common across the range. The released three-view drawing with the connector pinout is supplied with the datasheet — ask the engineering team if you need it for an airframe review before quotation.
Where the HQ-100D is used
Three mission profiles that match this weight class and sensor set.
- Power line and asset inspection
Visible and thermal channels on one stabilised axis let a crew read a conductor and its joint in a single pass, with the zoom range covering both the span and the fitting.
- Security and perimeter patrol
A light head preserves endurance on a small multirotor while making people and vehicles visible at night or through light foliage.
- Tactical ISR
Detection at the edge of the patrol area, with tracking that holds a target while the operator reports it.
Other heads in the range
Every model shares the same control protocol, video pipeline and AI module, so moving between them does not change the aircraft-side integration.
HQ series · 3-axis · EO + IR + LRF
HQ-100T Gimbal Camera Manufacturer
The same 800 g three-axis head as the 100D, with a 1.5 km laser rangefinder added.
- Weight
- ≤800 g
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- 640 × 512
HQ series · 3-axis · EO
HQ-115S Drone Camera Gimbal Direct Factory
A 40x daylight optic alone, for daylight-only surveillance where the weight budget rules out a thermal channel.
- Weight
- ≤1 kg
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- —
HQ series · 3-axis · EO + IR
HQ-115D UAV Gimbal Camera OEM
30x zoom and thermal imaging on a one-kilogram head with no ranging requirement.
- Weight
- ≤1 kg
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- 640 × 512
Questions engineers ask about the HQ-100D
Are a datasheet and a dimension drawing available?
Yes — the datasheet, outline drawing and interface document for the HQ-100D are supplied on request, together with the alignment and test data for the unit you receive.
What does the HQ-100D weigh and which platforms does it suit?
The HQ-100D weighs 800 g and measures Φ100 × 156 mm, which places it with multirotors, fixed-wing aircraft and small helicopters.
How far can the HQ-100D detect a person or a vehicle?
Detection is quoted at EO 1.8 km person / 10 km vehicle, IR 0.53 km person / 2.5 km vehicle against the standard 1.7 m person and 2.3 m vehicle targets.
Does the HQ-100D include AI detection and tracking?
Yes. Person, vehicle, vessel and aircraft detection plus multi-target tracking run on the payload itself, so they keep working when the data link degrades, and on-board recording keeps the imagery as well.
What are the order terms for the HQ-100D?
One unit for a stock configuration, custom builds from 100 units. A head held in stock ships from inventory, so the lead time is transit rather than a production slot; payment is by T/T with the schedule on the quotation, and the warranty is one year from delivery with support from our own engineers online.
Designed and manufactured by HITS
Optics, servo hardware, stabilisation firmware and the AI tracking module are developed in house, and every unit is assembled, calibrated and environmentally tested on our own line before it ships.
Request a quotation for the HQ-100D
Send the platform, the operating altitude and the identification range you need and we will confirm the configuration. Contact us with your requirements.