The USGS Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is seeking the procurement of a Micasense Altum PT Inspired Flight Drone Integration Kit. It is the only camera in the multispectral market that includes 5 spectral bands (Red, Green, Blue, Red Edge, and Infrared), a high-resolution panchromatic band, and a thermal band. It effectively combines multiple cameras into a single camera, enabling unique image acquisition capabilities and reducing field acquisition time. It is also the only camera with the capabilities cited above with size, weight, and interface specifications that enable it to be readily used on a drone.

The camera must have the following features/specifications:
- Inspired Flight Drone integration kit
- Megapixels: 2064 x 1544 (3.2MP per MS band), 4112 x 3008 (12MP per PAN band), 320 × 256 thermal infrared
- Multispectral resolution : 5.28 cm per pixel at 120 m (per multispectral band)
- Thermal: FLIR LWIR thermal infrared 7.5-13.5um radiometrically calibrated
- Weight: 734 gm

The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to Frontier Precision LLC., unless it is contacted by any who believes they can provide the same product. Vendors are invited to contact the Contract Specialist, Miranda Blankenship via email at mblankenship@usgs.gov no later than 12:00PM EST, Friday, August 18, 2023, with an affirmative answer.

Sole Source Justification States the Following Part:
The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

USGS Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit requires a multispectral camera that includes 5 spectral bands (Red, Green, Blue, Red Edge, and Infrared), a high-resolution panchromatic band, and a thermal band. It effectively combines multiple cameras into a single camera, enabling unique image acquisition capabilities and reducing field acquisition time.

The camera must have the following features/specifications:
- Inspired Flight Drone integration kit
- Megapixels: 2064 x 1544 (3.2MP per MS band), 4112 x 3008 (12MP per PAN band), 320 × 256 thermal
infrared
- Multispectral resolution : 5.28 cm per pixel at 120 m (per multispectral band)
- Thermal: FLIR LWIR thermal infrared 7.5-13.5um radiometrically calibrated
- Multispectral and thermal imaging synchronization
- Weight: 734 gm

The MicaSense Altum will be used to obtain high resolution remote sensing imagery, including multiband spectral imagery and thermography. It will also be used on study sites to identify specific biological features. Multispectral imaging is necessary because it is capable of resolving and identifying characteristics, features, and organism presence/absence that cannot be distinguished in standard RGB imaging. The Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is specifically requesting a MicaSense Altum-PT unit for the following reasons:

a. There are no other companies that offer a combined RGB/multispectral/thermal camera in a compatible form factor, with all the needed specifications cited in section 3. The MicaSense Altum PT camera has 5 multispectral bands and a high-resolution panchromatic band as well as a thermal camera, which makes it unique in the commercial multispectral camera market. This configuration allows capturing different images that are synchronous and spatially co-registered, eliminating the need for multiple flights using different cameras. No other available camera has these features. It is the only camera with the capabilities cited above with size, weight, and interface specifications that enable it to be readily used on compliant drones. The MicaSense camera can be mounted and integrated on the Inspired Flight 1200A drone [REDACTED] purchased by our University of Florida collaborators. The scope of expertise involved necessitates this collaborative effort (collaborative research group was formed in 2001: https://uas.ifas.ufl.edu/team/) with a shared airframe and sensor package to accomplish research objectives.

b. The MicaSense Altum unit will support research at the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and its continued collaborative efforts with other stakeholder agencies. Without this camera unit, the Government will be unable to collect multispectral and thermal survey data that supports habitat assessments for fish and wildlife species.

Market research indicates that no other vendor manufactures multispectral camera unit that meets the Government¿s minimum needs for data continuity, meets our technical needs, and is readily integrated with our current equipment.

Future requirements for same/similar items will be competed to the maximum extent practical. Program Office will conduct continuous market research in an effort to identify solutions that meet specifications/requirements in the future.

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