Andover Corporation provides optical solutions for UAV and drone platforms operating across defense, commercial, industrial, and autonomous system applications.

From EO/IR imaging payloads and thermal sensing systems to LiDAR, multispectral imaging, and compact gimbal architectures, our optical filters, coatings, fabricated components, and assemblies are designed to support demanding airborne environments while balancing performance, durability, and SWaP constraints.

• Infrared Camera Optical Stacks: Bandpass and edge filters for MWIR and LWIR imaging systems, enabling thermal contrast and spectral isolation within IR imaging systems.
• Sensor Protection Windows: Durable, coated windows that protect detectors while maintaining transmission and minimizing reflection losses using anti-reflective coatings.
• Lens and Aperture Coatings: Optical coatings applied to lens elements to improve transmission, reduce stray light, and enhance image clarity, including AR optical coatings.
• Beamsplitters and Dichroic Elements: Used in multi-sensor payloads to separate or combine spectral bands for visible, SWIR, and IR imaging using beamsplitters.
• Compact Optical Assemblies: Mosaics and multi-element optical assemblies designed for integration into gimbal systems and tightly constrained payload architectures.
• Laser and LiDAR Optical Paths: Filters and coatings optimized for common laser wavelengths used in LiDAR systems and rangefinding applications.
• Environmental and Protective Coatings: Rugged coatings, including DLC coatings, designed to withstand abrasion, moisture, and airborne environmental exposure.
• Miniaturized Optical Components: Precision-fabricated filters and optics sized for compact payloads, including small-format components produced through advanced substrate fabrication.

UAV and drone platforms demand optical components that balance performance, durability, and SWaP constraints. Andover Corporation supports these requirements with custom optical filters, anti-reflective coatings, beamsplitters, precision-fabricated optics, and rugged coating solutions for airborne systems operating across visible, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR wavelengths.

Whether you are developing stabilized imaging payloads, surveillance platforms, autonomous sensing systems, or laser-based subsystems, our team can help you identify the right optical solution for your application.