Panasonic Australia has unveiled the rugged Aero-PTZ security camera, which is designed for applications at height, at sea and on ports, piers and bridges, under severe weather conditions, from rain and snow to extreme temperatures and gale-force winds.

The camera’s 360⁰ aerodynamic spherical design minimises interference drag for visual stability in winds of up to 215 kmph, while the unique radius bodyline helps deter snow and dirt build-up.

The camera features hybrid image stabilisation technology and gyro-sensors, to minimise the impact of external vibrations and is equipped with ‘active sense’ technology, responding to external conditions to initiate built-in wipers to keep the lens clear in rain and snow, a heater to ensure internal electronics are operating at the optimal temperature and a defroster to keep the viewing lens clear. The light-weight, fibreglass body delivers excellent strength and is resistant to corrosion from exposure to wet conditions such as sea sprays.

Panasonic is previewing the camera at this week’s ASIAL (Australian Security Industry Association Limited) exhibition. The Aero-PTZ will be available in Australia in late 2016.

“The Aero PTZ is the most environmentally rugged security camera on the market, capable of withstanding more extreme conditions than ever before,” says Panasonic Australia security group manager Daniel Sultana.

“The camera is ready for any installation and will reliably produce sharp, crisp images, whatever the weather.”

“It is ideal for a variety of applications, including ports, transit, airports, city surveillance, highways or any location that is prone to severe natural weather conditions, or other factors that might wreak havoc on the operation and reliability of a typical video surveillance camera. The camera’s wide operating temperature and rugged construction means it’s resilient in arctic-to-desert climate ranges.”

The camera incorporates a Video Stability Augment System (SAS) for exceptional image stabilisation, virtually eliminating camera shake. It has an exceptional high-wind load durability of 60m/s and can yield clear imagery with its optional long-range IR LED capability for superior performance in low -to no-light conditions of up to around 150m.

The Aero-PTZ has Full HD resolution at 60fps with a 30x optical zoom lens. The camera is IP67 rated, which means it is both water and dust proof and is vandal proof to IK10 standards. It operates in extreme hot and cold conditions from -50 ºC to +55 ºC. The sphere pan-tilt mechanism allows endless 360-degree panning and a +/- 90-degree tilt range. In addition, the super dynamic function ensures a wider dynamic range compared to conventional cameras.