Summary
What does the path from panoramic innovation to mission readiness look like?
For Circle Optics, Inc., this summer has meant getting closer to the people, platforms, and missions that will shape where our technology goes next.
From welcoming senior Department of War Office of Industrial Base Growth leaders to Rochester, to customer discovery with L3Harris Technologies, to exploring low light panoramic imaging with Deepnight and now heading into a series of field, Counter UAS, and defense engagements the momentum is building.
“August 2026: From Panoramic Perspective to Mission Readiness,” shares where we’ve been, what we’re learning, and where we’re headed next.
And if panoramic imaging could further your mission, let’s connect.
For Circle Optics, the summer of 2026 has been defined by a shift from technology development toward mission readiness.
Over the past several weeks, that shift has taken many forms: welcoming senior Department of Defense industrial base leaders to Rochester, working directly with L3Harris to understand a potential naval imaging application, exploring low light panoramic imaging with Deepnight, and preparing for a series of field and defense engagements focused on autonomy, Counter UAS, and technology transition.
Each is different, but they are connected by the same objective: understand the mission, strengthen the technology, find the right partners, and accelerate the path toward operational use.
Circle Optics recently welcomed leaders from the Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Growth to its Rochester headquarters as part of a regional visit highlighting companies strengthening America’s Defense Industrial Base. The visit showcased how Circle Optics is transforming breakthrough panoramic imaging technologies into scalable products supporting defense, aerospace, autonomy, and Physical AI. It also underscored the critical role of Rochester’s internationally recognized optics and imaging ecosystem in advancing innovation and manufacturing for national security
Customer Discovery at L3Harris
Our mission readiness focus continued with a recent customer discovery visit to L3Harris in Northampton, Massachusetts, where members of the Circle Optics team met directly with engineering and technical leaders to explore a potential naval imaging application. The visit gave our team the opportunity to better understand the existing system, operational environment, performance objectives, and how a future capability would need to perform. Just as importantly, it allowed both teams to explore where panoramic imaging could add value within a larger sensing architecture. For Circle Optics, engagements like this are an essential part of identifying where panoramic imaging can deliver meaningful operational value.
Deepnight CEO Lucas Young about the evolution of AI-enhanced low-light imaging, computational photography, and the future of autonomous perception. The conversation highlights how this partnership is helping defense, security, robotics, and critical infrastructure customers see more clearly, make faster decisions, and operate more effectively in challenging environments.
Where We’re Headed
Kelly Hills Field Day will provide an opportunity to engage with the unmanned systems and autonomy community in a field environment, continuing Circle Optics’ focus on understanding how advanced perception technologies perform and integrate in real world applications.
On August 25–26, Circle Optics will attend the IDGA Counter UAS Summit at MGM National Harbor, Maryland. With more than 500 senior decision makers, acquisition leaders, program managers, and technology experts expected from across the military, government, and C UAS industry, the summit provides an important forum for understanding emerging requirements and identifying where panoramic imaging can contribute to increasingly integrated Counter UAS architectures.
Then, on September 22–24, Circle Optics will return to National Harbor for the Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit & Expo, bringing together government, industry, academia, and emerging technology companies focused on accelerating innovation for national securit
Please ping us if you’ll be at any of these events, and if Circle Optics’ technology could further your mission, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect.
Contact CEO Zak (Zakariya) Niazi or VP of Marketing Jennifer Sertl
