Mark Bown, Group Marketing Manager at Kelvin Hughes informed DPM about key capabilities and the future of the company.
What is it about Kelvin Hughes’ key capabilities currently being provided by the company that make this level of achievement sustainable for today’s military customer?
M. Bown: SHARPEYE radar technology is at the core of our surveillance and security products. The radar is a solid state, X band pulse Doppler radar which uses a range of techniques such as pulse compression and Doppler processing. These provide an advanced detection capability enabling persons and vehicles to be separated from clutter. The targets can then be identified using electro-optical devices and classified on our CXEYE display which provides the operator with an easy to use situational awareness picture as well as camera control and automated tracking.
Our focus in the security market, whether it be for base protection, mobile patrols or border protection, is to provide situational awareness quickly, effectively and in budget. 360° radar coverage from SHARPEYE SxV means fewer sensors can provide wider area coverage. It is a lightweight radar and does not require specific and expensive infrastructure to support it. Using our unique pan and tilt mechanism the radar and cameras can be co-located, requiring only a single mast for support and one cable for both power and data.
Multiple radar and camera systems, including legacy camera systems can be integrated to create a larger surveillance network. CXEYE provides track fusion and target tote compilation as standard to assist the operator in making real time and informed decisions.
Can you please give us some impressions about the company’s future plans to intensify business activities abroad?
M. Bown: Kelvin Hughes already derives in excess of 80% of revenues from overseas. As we build our security sales and marketing network globally, we anticipate a similar mix of business at home and abroad.
The shrinking of R&D budgets continues to be the subject of great debate. Can you talk about Kelvin Hughes’ attitude to self-funded R&D and the role this plays in your development?
M. Bown: Kelvin Hughes has a long history of technology firsts over the last 250 years, from Henry Hughes’ chronometers and instruments in the 1700s and later with Lord Kelvin in the Victorian era. In modern times we have had a mix of self-funded and customer-funded R&D and this is likely to continue. In general terms, entirely new products are born from self-funded R&D while customer-funded activity tends to adapt the existing technology for a particular requirement. We view an increase in R&D spending each year as a prerequisite to secure future growth.
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| Mark Bown, Group Marketing Manager at Kelvin Hughes gives insights about his company. (All photos: Kelvin Hughes) |
What is it about Kelvin Hughes’ key capabilities currently being provided by the company that make this level of achievement sustainable for today’s military customer?
M. Bown: SHARPEYE radar technology is at the core of our surveillance and security products. The radar is a solid state, X band pulse Doppler radar which uses a range of techniques such as pulse compression and Doppler processing. These provide an advanced detection capability enabling persons and vehicles to be separated from clutter. The targets can then be identified using electro-optical devices and classified on our CXEYE display which provides the operator with an easy to use situational awareness picture as well as camera control and automated tracking.
Our focus in the security market, whether it be for base protection, mobile patrols or border protection, is to provide situational awareness quickly, effectively and in budget. 360° radar coverage from SHARPEYE SxV means fewer sensors can provide wider area coverage. It is a lightweight radar and does not require specific and expensive infrastructure to support it. Using our unique pan and tilt mechanism the radar and cameras can be co-located, requiring only a single mast for support and one cable for both power and data.
Multiple radar and camera systems, including legacy camera systems can be integrated to create a larger surveillance network. CXEYE provides track fusion and target tote compilation as standard to assist the operator in making real time and informed decisions.
Can you please give us some impressions about the company’s future plans to intensify business activities abroad?
M. Bown: Kelvin Hughes already derives in excess of 80% of revenues from overseas. As we build our security sales and marketing network globally, we anticipate a similar mix of business at home and abroad.
The shrinking of R&D budgets continues to be the subject of great debate. Can you talk about Kelvin Hughes’ attitude to self-funded R&D and the role this plays in your development?
M. Bown: Kelvin Hughes has a long history of technology firsts over the last 250 years, from Henry Hughes’ chronometers and instruments in the 1700s and later with Lord Kelvin in the Victorian era. In modern times we have had a mix of self-funded and customer-funded R&D and this is likely to continue. In general terms, entirely new products are born from self-funded R&D while customer-funded activity tends to adapt the existing technology for a particular requirement. We view an increase in R&D spending each year as a prerequisite to secure future growth.
