Teledyne FLIR Defense Adds Emesent Hovermap LiDAR to Uncrewed Systems Program
Teledyne FLIR Defense has certified Emesent’s Hovermap LiDAR payload for its uncrewed systems portfolio. The company announced the move at Modern Day Marine 2026 as an expansion of its Third-Party Payload Integration Program. The agreement brings Emesent’s GPS-denied 3D mapping capability to Teledyne FLIR unmanned aircraft, ground robots and radiation detection platforms.
The integration targets a critical operating gap for air and ground systems. GPS can fail or be unavailable in tunnels, dense urban structures and CBRN-contaminated areas. Hovermap uses LiDAR-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping to generate accurate 3D maps without GPS or external infrastructure.
On Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRanger R70 and R80D SkyRaider UAS platforms, Hovermap enables mapping in GPS-denied environments. On the company’s SUGV 325 ground robot, the payload gives operators persistent 3D awareness of complex enclosed spaces, streamed in real time. When paired with Teledyne FLIR’s MUVE R430 radiation detection payload on the SUGV, Hovermap lets teams see where the robot has traveled and where radiation levels are elevated.
Emesent said the combined capability gives CBRN teams a real-time view of both space and radiation without sending personnel into danger. Teledyne FLIR said the integration gives operators a fused spatial picture of the threat environment that was not previously available in the same form. Certified third-party payloads are assessed for mechanical fit, electrical interface, software compatibility and flight performance before entering the program.
The companies said the partnership also creates a technical base for future capability development. Both are working on autonomous navigation and broader multi-sensor fusion beyond radiation into additional CBRN detection modes. The result could give field operators faster mapping, richer threat awareness and safer access to environments where GPS is unreliable and human entry is high-risk.