Our gyro-stabilised EO/IR gimbal family against NextVision Raptor, Trillium HD55 and Gremsy VIO: one supplier across seven weight classes.
All four make small, stabilised EO/IR gimbals for aircraft. The difference is not one headline number. It is how many weight classes come from the same team, how the stabilisation is stated, and whether the export desk sits inside your jurisdiction or someone else's.
This is a fielded gimbal family, not a single unit. Seven models run from a 750 g dual-sensor gimbal to a 5.2 kg cooled-MWIR system, every one stabilised to better than 150 microradians on direct-drive torque motors, with full-HD day channels to 30x optical zoom, optional laser rangefinders to the 5 km class, and BIS certification. The top model detects a person at 9.2 km and a vehicle at 15.5 km.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratGyro-stabilised EO/IR gimbals | NextVision Stabilized SystemsRaptor micro dual EO/IR camera1Israel | Trillium EngineeringHD55 EO/IR gimbal (VV / LV-CZ / MV configurations)2United States | GremsyVIO EO/IR payload (F1 / G1)3Vietnam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How the product is offered123 | A family of seven models from 750 g to 5.2 kg, chosen by weight class and sensor mix, from one supplier | Single micro gimbal in a Raptor / Raptor-360 / Raptor-360-Sealed family, one weight class | One HD55 platform in VV, LV-CZ, LVV-CZ and MV camera configurations, 1,275 g to 1,850 g | One VIO gimbal in F1 (FLIR Boson 640) and G1 (640 thermal core) build options |
| Lightest and heaviest unit123The Raptor is lighter than our smallest gimbal, but it is one class; the point of comparison is the span a single supplier covers. | 750 g lightest, 5.2 kg heaviest cooled-MWIR system | 640 g, single class | 1,275 g (VV) to 1,850 g (MV), all within one platform | Not published as a single weight in the specification table read |
| Stabilisation accuracy123Vendors state stabilisation in different units and some not at all, so these are not like-for-like. Gremsy's 0.01 degree is a control resolution, not a residual line-of-sight jitter. Confirm any stabilisation claim by watching the live image at full zoom. | Better than 150 microradians on direct-drive torque motors, across all seven models | Not published as a microradian figure | Not published as a stabilisation figure; 0.5 degree total system geolocation accuracy stated | ±0.01 degree axis control resolution stated |
| Thermal detector, top thermal option123 | Cooled MWIR 640x512 on the 5.2 kg model; uncooled LWIR 640x480 across the lighter models | Uncooled thermal, 1280x720 IR resolution | Uncooled LWIR 640x512 on LV/LVV; cooled MWIR 640x512 on the MV configuration | Uncooled VOx 640x512, 12 µm, 8-14 µm, NETD better than 50 mK |
| Day channel zoom123 | Full-HD 1920x1080 day channel, up to 30x optical and 12x digital zoom | x80 total EO zoom (x40 optical plus x2 digital, quoted as x80) | Up to 72x zoom (VV), 60x (LV-CZ/LVV-CZ) on a 1280x720 visible camera | 30x super-resolution zoom, 240x combined (photography only) |
| Laser rangefinder123 | Optional across the family, to the 5 km class on standard targets by model | Not published on this product page | LRF offered on LV-CZ and MV configurations | Not published in the specification table read |
| Person / vehicle detection, top model123None of the three publishes a DRI table against defined targets on the material read, so their ranges cannot be compared cell to cell. Ours are stated; treat all such figures as trial-verifiable. | Person 9.2 km, vehicle 15.5 km on the 5.2 kg model | Not published as a range table on this product page | Not published as a person/vehicle range table on the datasheet read | Not published as a person/vehicle range table |
| Pan and tilt123 | Not published as pan/tilt travel in the catalogue; direct-drive torque-motor gimbal | 360 degree continuous pan | 360 degree continuous pan, tilt -80 to +40 degrees (MV/VV), -80 to +65 degrees (LV) | Pan ±320 degrees, tilt ±143 degrees, up to 100 degrees per second per axis |
| Tracking and geo-referencing123 | Geo-reference, geo-track and automatic detection and tracking of moving targets, optional per model | Target tracking with stabilised thermal imaging stated qualitatively | Onboard target, scene and geo tracking, real-time geopointing, MISB-compliant KLV metadata | AI object detection on the vision and thermal cameras |
| Environmental rating123 | Not published as an IP rating in the catalogue | IP54 on the Raptor-360-Sealed configuration | Not published as an IP rating on the datasheet read | Not published as an IP rating in the specification table read |
| Origin and export position123Trillium markets specific non-controlled builds as ITAR-free, which is candid, but the classification travels with the exact configuration. A non-aligned supplier removes the question rather than qualifying it. | Independent, non-aligned origin, supplied and supported by one accountable team, BIS certified | Israel | United States, with non-controlled configurations marketed as ITAR-free | Vietnam |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The span is the point, not a single gimbal.
NextVision's Raptor is a fine 640 g micro gimbal, Trillium's HD55 covers a useful 1.3 to 1.9 kg band across camera builds, and Gremsy's VIO gives a light EO/IR payload with AI detection. Each is one platform. A drone programme running several airframes, from a hand-launched quad to a larger ISR aircraft, then buys a Raptor here and an HD55 there and integrates each separately. Our family runs seven models from 750 g to 5.2 kg with the same interface discipline and the same sub-150-microradian stabilisation target, so the programme picks a weight class rather than a new vendor for every airframe.
Read stabilisation claims in the same unit before you trust them.
We state better than 150 microradians of stabilisation. Gremsy states a 0.01 degree axis control resolution, which is roughly 175 microradians but describes the motor step rather than the residual jitter of the line of sight. Trillium states a 0.5 degree total-system geolocation accuracy, a different quantity again. NextVision states none in numeric form on its product page. These are not the same measurement, so the honest test is to fly each gimbal, zoom to the top of its optical range, and watch how still the image holds. The datasheet number is a starting point, not the answer.
Export terms decide who owns the sensor after delivery.
Trillium is refreshingly direct that only its non-controlled configurations are ITAR-free, which means the classification depends on the exact build you order. NextVision and Gremsy carry their own national export regimes. For a buyer who cannot afford a foreign veto over how an ISR gimbal is used or resupplied, that is the deciding factor long after the zoom range stops mattering. Our gimbals come from an independent, non-aligned supplier, BIS certified, so the sensor and its spares stay inside the operator's jurisdiction.
Questions buyers ask
What is a good alternative to the NextVision Raptor or Trillium HD55 for a UAS EO/IR gimbal?
All three are capable. The Raptor is a 640 g micro gimbal with 1280x720 IR and x80 total EO zoom; the HD55 covers 1,275 g to 1,850 g in visible, LWIR and cooled-MWIR builds with MISB KLV metadata; the Gremsy VIO adds AI detection on a 640x512 LWIR payload. Ours is a seven-model family from 750 g to 5.2 kg from one supplier, every model stabilised to better than 150 microradians, with full-HD day channels to 30x optical zoom, optional laser rangefinders to the 5 km class, and person detection to 9.2 km on the top model. If you run more than one airframe and want a single source and a non-aligned export position, that is the reason to shortlist it.
Which gimbal is the most stable, in microradians?
Compare the units carefully. We state better than 150 microradians of stabilisation across all seven models. Gremsy publishes a 0.01 degree axis control resolution, which is a motor figure rather than residual line-of-sight jitter; Trillium publishes a 0.5 degree total-system geolocation accuracy, a different quantity; NextVision does not publish a numeric stabilisation figure on its product page. Because these are not the same measurement, judge stabilisation by flying each gimbal at full optical zoom and watching the live image, not by the spec sheet alone.
Do I need a cooled MWIR gimbal or is uncooled LWIR enough?
Cooled MWIR earns its cost and weight only at long range, where it pulls detail from small, distant heat signatures that an uncooled LWIR core cannot resolve. Our family runs uncooled LWIR 640x480 on the lighter models and cooled MWIR 640x512 on the 5.2 kg top model, so you match the detector to the range you actually need. Trillium offers the same split, uncooled LWIR on its lighter configurations and cooled MWIR on the MV build. Gremsy's VIO is uncooled only. Size the detector to your longest real detection requirement rather than the headline capability.
Can one supplier cover both a small quad and a larger ISR aircraft?
That is the case for a family rather than a single gimbal. A 750 g unit suits a hand-launched quad; a 5.2 kg cooled-MWIR unit suits a larger ISR airframe, and everything between is the same family with a common interface discipline. The single-platform competitors, the Raptor, the HD55 and the VIO, each cover one band well, so a multi-airframe programme integrates several vendors. Bring your airframe list and payload budgets to the review so the weight classes are matched to the aircraft.
Is this a fielded gimbal or a prototype?
Fielded. It is a seven-model family in service, BIS certified, with the stabilisation, zoom, rangefinder and detection figures quoted here as the delivered specification. The top model's 9.2 km person and 15.5 km vehicle detection are stated ranges to verify in your own trial.
Why does gimbal supplier nationality matter for a drone programme?
Because an ISR gimbal is the sensor that defines what the aircraft can see, and its resupply and use terms arrive with the export licence, not the brochure. Trillium says plainly that only its non-controlled configurations are ITAR-free; the Raptor and the VIO carry their own national regimes. An independent, non-aligned supplier removes the foreign veto over how the sensor is used and keeps spares inside your jurisdiction, which for a sovereign programme is worth more than a marginal zoom advantage.
Sources
- 1. NextVision Stabilized Systems, Raptor micro dual EO/IR camera (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor product page: 640 g weight, 1280x720 IR resolution, x80 total EO zoom (x40 optical plus x2 digital), x8 digital IR zoom, 360 degree continuous pan, IP54 on the sealed variant, 90x120x196 mm.
- 2. Trillium Engineering, HD55 EO/IR system datasheet (2024)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor datasheet: VV/LV-CZ/LVV-CZ/MV configurations 1,275 g to 1,850 g, LWIR and cooled-MWIR 640x512 options, 360 degree pan, tilt -80 to +40/+65, 72x/60x zoom, LRF options, 0.5 degree total-system geolocation, MISB KLV, ITAR-free non-controlled configurations.
- 3. Gremsy, VIO EO/IR payload specifications (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor specification page: VIO F1 and G1 builds, uncooled VOx 640x512 12 µm 8-14 µm NETD better than 50 mK, 30x super-resolution EO zoom, ±0.01 degree axis control resolution, pan ±320 degrees, AI object detection.