ZLID™ - Zoom Laser IR Diode
Ascendent’s ZLID™ technology was developed in 2007 as a long-range IR illumination solution. Most IR illumination technologies rely on a cluster of IR LEDs, which have limited ranges of just a few hundred meters. Ascendent's ZLID (Zoom Laser Infrared Diode) illuminators combine laser diode technology with precision engineered optical collimators and sophisticated electronics to provide invisible long-range illumination up to 5 kilometers (3 miles). ZLID synchronizes IR intensity and area illumination with the motorized zoom lens for outstanding active IR performance, eliminating the overexposure, washout, and hot-spots that often plague similar systems. With a much lower cost and much higher resolution than equivalent thermal imaging solutions, ZLID™ is the ultimate solution for long-range identification in complete darkness.
Uses Existing Optics
ZLID uses the lens and sensor already being used for the optical camera, so not only will the be picture be clear and detailed, the expense of a high‑end lens and sensor won’t go to waste in the dark.
Effective for Identification
Because lasers use a wavelength of light similar to that which the human eye sees, objects look similar to how they would look lit with a spotlight. This means that identification markers, license plates and human faces are much more recognizable than they are with thermal cameras.
Even, Balanced Illumination
Many competitors offer sub‑par laser illumination solutions. We use high quality lasers in our products that provide an even, balanced light, and we adjust the focus area and brightness of the laser according to the zoom level.
See up to 5km
By using powerful lasers and focusing them to a small field-of-view, we can provide illumination for targets as far away as 5 kilometers. Traditional IR LED arrays are often limited to an effective range of 300m.
