HQ-125S three-axis gimbal camera
A thermal-only head with a 1280 × 1024 sensor — the highest thermal resolution in the series. 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 1 kg
- Three-axis stabilised
- Thermal 1280 × 1024
- 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-125S is
The HQ-125S is the configuration we recommend when the mission needs IR at 1 kg. A thermal-only head with a 1280 × 1024 sensor — the highest thermal resolution in the series. 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.
- Uncooled thermal channel
1280 × 1024, 50 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.
- Built for the platform
11–28 VDC input, −20 °C to +60 °C operation and sealed housings for dust, wind and rotor wash, with vibration and temperature cycling run on our own fixtures before packing.
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).
1 kg in Φ125 × 177 mm
The complete head weighs 1 kg and measures Φ125 × 177 mm, with 11–28 VDC input and power consumption of 20 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.
Sensor payload
Configured as IR. Each channel is boresighted to the others, so one target sits in the same place on every screen.
Thermal / IR
1280 × 1024, 50 mm fixed
Detection 1.4 km person / 6 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.
Thermal / IR
The thermal channel is 1280 × 1024, 50 mm fixed, uncooled long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK. Thermal detection is quoted at 1.4 km person / 6 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
Detection, classification and tracking run on the payload, so the video feed stays usable when the data link degrades. The tracker locks onto a target selected on the ground station screen and holds it through occlusion, rotation and scale change.
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-125S |
| Series | Gimbal Camera Series (HQ series) |
| Stabilisation | Three-axis gyro-stabilised, ≤ 100 μrad |
| Sensor configuration | IR |
| Thermal channel | 1280 × 1024, 50 mm fixed |
| Weight | ≤1 kg |
| Dimensions | ≤Φ125 × 177 mm |
| Power consumption | 20 W / 30 W |
| Detection (IR) | 1.4 km person / 6 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-125S.
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 | ≤1 kg |
| Envelope | ≤Φ125 × 177 mm |
| Power consumption | 20 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-125S 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
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
HQ series · 3-axis · EO + IR + LRF
HQ-115T Gimbal Camera Manufacturer
The one-kilogram workhorse: 30x zoom, thermal imaging and a 1.5 km rangefinder.
- Weight
- ≤1 kg
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- 640 × 512
Questions engineers ask about the HQ-125S
Is a larger or a smaller head a better fit?
If the identification range in the requirement is longer than this configuration covers, the next step in the family is a heavier turret with a longer focal length and a larger aperture. If the aircraft is weight-limited, a lighter head normally keeps endurance.
How far can the HQ-125S detect a person or a vehicle?
Detection is quoted at IR 1.4 km person / 6 km vehicle against the standard 1.7 m person and 2.3 m vehicle targets.
Does the HQ-125S 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 is the lead time for a HQ-125S?
An evaluation unit is usually supplied first so the integration can be tested on the bench and in flight, with production batches scheduled afterwards. Heads held in stock ship from a single unit, so the lead time is transit rather than a production slot; custom configurations are scheduled once the optical work is fixed, and the quotation confirms which models are held in stock.
What are the order terms for the HQ-125S?
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-125S
Send the platform, the operating altitude and the identification range you need and we will confirm the configuration. Contact us with your requirements.