Laying out a vision to expand its reach in the aviation optronic products and services market, Otonomy Aviation (Booth U115) unveiled a prototype of a 4K camera designed specifically for business aviation this week at EBACE 2019. Following up to its full HD 1080 aeronautical onboard camera, the 4K camera increases functionality and offers expanded usage modes with improved view angles, resolution, speed and quality, the company said.
Development of the new camera comes as Otonomy Aviation recently lined up €2.35 million ($2.6 million) in additional capital to support its long-term goals of developing new products, as well as growing its market presence and production capacity.
Founder Guillaume Daudon is hoping to expand in what the company sees as a fragmented market with ambitions to take a leadership position, the company said. The capitalization adds two new investors—Ouest Croissance and Expanso Capital—to its existing investor Sofimac Regions. “This step is paramount in the genesis and the survival of Otonomy Aviation. Collaborating with investors committed to [our] values is one more step in our strategy of supporting our customers in their development,” said Daudon.
Founded in 2007, Otonomy Aviation provides a range of high-definition and ultra-high-definition optical systems that can be used for cabin entertainment systems, security, and anti-collision purposes. These include the Parabellum onboard security system that provides remote control; the Sentinel system that detects the potential of ground collision; and Visionomy, which includes high-definition and ultra-high definition onboard cameras that provide real-time streaming with coverage "beyond 360-deg” of the flight.
The company, which has an annual turnover of €4 million, has developed more than 500 in-flight cameras to date, counting Gulfstream, Dassault, Lufthansa, and Comlux among its major customers. Otonomy expects to announce a new framework contract with an aircraft manufacturer in June. As for its plans for growth, the company is building a new production facility near Bordeaux, France, that will open in 2020 and expects to double its staff within two to three years. Otonomy currently has a production site in Merignac and a customer support facility in Savannah, Georgia.
