ISLANDER MAKES HIS VISION COME TRUE

Company provides camera systems for military usage


Joe Janson demonstrates his company’s Arrow Thermal lens, a compact monocular that features a high-resolution infrared sensor. Janson, owner of Night Vision Technology Solutions, is outside of his company’s office Friday on Clinton Avenue. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

Joe Janson demonstrates his company’s Arrow Thermal lens, a compact monocular that features a high-resolution infrared sensor. Janson, owner of Night Vision Technology Solutions, is outside of his company’s office Friday on Clinton Avenue. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

Now in its fifth year of operation, Night Vision Technology Solutions is providing militaries around the globe with the ability to see in the dark, whether in the air, on land or at sea.

Originally established in Washington state, the company reincorporated in 2014 when it moved to its current location on Clinton Avenue. Owned by Coast Guard veteran Joe Janson, the company manufactures fixed and portable camera systems used for navigation, search and rescue, coastal surveillance, man overboard and object identification tracking. The genesis for his company stems from 25 years of navigational electronics and engineering with the government. While Janson’s business is small, he has dealt with big players.

“We are usually approached by a domestic military if there is something they need, like a custom application that is not readily available,” he said. “But we’ve also dealt with some of the larger players like Raytheon and General Dynamics.”

Janson’s firm has roughly 20 products, which range from portable units to systems that provide surveillance for military vehicles and autonomous ships. Those products include the Atlas HDLR Long Range Border Camera, which gives a security solution for extended range border and coastal surveillance. Janson said the Atlas camera incorporates the latest in thermal and HD technology to detect and track small targets at extended ranges with high resolution and stability.

“We also make optics for remote weapons systems and thermal imaging for driver vision for armored vehicles and tanks,” he said. “We’re a small company and don’t have unlimited engineering resources, but we try to aggregate the latest in technologies and come up with an integrated solution.”

The company currently is building five stabilized camera systems for the Portuguese coast guard. While the company doesn’t make the lenses and camera cores, it searches for those technologies and improves them, Janson said.

“We put the components together and design a system that meets the customer requirements,” he said.

The cameras then undergo field tests that would meet the standards of a real-life environment.

With border security such a hot topic nationally, Janson’s company has provided the military with mounted vehicle cameras that can see up to 15 miles at night.

While it does not sell directly to the public, Janson said his compa-ny makes retail products available to shoppers through Optics Planet.

“We’re not a big player in that market but we do make things like handheld scopes for outdoor enthusiasts,” he said. “There is a demand for it.”

That includes the Arrow Thermal, a compact monocular with features including a high-resolution sensor and visual thermal enhancement. Janson said it provides superior image detail and contrast, making object recognition more pronounced. It retails for $1,600 at Optics Planet.

Janson said all the product design, assembly and testing is done right on Clinton Avenue. While the work may be technical in nature, it is also fun and rewarding.

“We enjoy what we’re doing here,” he said. “There is a satisfaction involved in designing a better camera.”

As for living in Jamestown, Janson said he enjoys island life and the proximity to Narragansett Bay.

“I’m still an active sailor,” he said. “My wife and I love to be on the water whether it be paddle boarding or surfing. We like to do everything the ocean provides and the peacefulness of living here.”