By Anna Volkwine, Army FUZE 

WASHINGTON — As military operations demand quick, informed decision-making, the U.S. Army and broader Joint Force are turning to cutting-edge innovators such as Bounce Imaging to equip warfighters with a safer, smarter view of their surroundings.  

The small business, based out of Buffalo, New York, is a two-time participant in the Army FUZE xTech Program, part of the Army FUZE portfolio. The xTech Program gave the company a platform to connect with end-users, gather valuable feedback, and refine its solution to meet real operational needs. Now, Bounce Imaging has moved beyond research and development and into the field, where its 360-degree rugged, throwable cameras are protecting warfighters and law enforcement alike. 

Defense community validates ‘first-of-its-type’ camera  

Founded in 2012, Bounce Imaging developed a visual camera that delivers real-time panoramic imagery and data. The cameras enhance situational awareness and allow operators to see inside dark, confined spaces without direct exposure. Originally developed for law enforcement and first responders, Bounce Imaging identified a defense market opportunity. In 2019, the company leveraged a connection with U.S. Special Operations Command to demonstrate how troops could use the cameras to safely clear buildings, bunkers, tunnels, and more. 

Building on momentum from its SOCOM partnership, Mark Fargason, Bounce Imaging chief operating officer and Army veteran, discovered xTech as a gateway to connect with Army-specific stakeholders. That same year, the company submitted a proposal to xTechSearch 4—xTech’s open-topic competition—to raise its visibility within the Army. 

Bounce Imaging incorporated feedback from SOCOM demonstrations to improve the cameras lighting features. As a finalist, the company earned $145,000 in cash prizes and used the funding to build a prototype of a thermal imaging camera, enabling it to demonstrate a low technology readiness level variant that doesn’t require ambient lighting.  

After several years of company-funded research and development, Bounce Imaging produced a high TRL system and the first-ever panoramic thermal camera, the Pit Viper—kickstarted by xTech’s feedback and funding of the initial concept prototype. 

“xTech gave us validation from the Department of War that we should make the investment to develop a first-of-its-type technology,” Fargason said.  

Success in stages across the force and beyond  

Bounce Imaging’s work with xTech accelerated its development of the Pit Viper—a product that named by Time Magazine as an invention of the year in 2024 and scheduled to begin shipping to law enforcement and defense customers by year’s end. 

In addition to developing the Pit Viper and other variants, the company has continued its partnership with SOCOM, delivering more than 800 units of its original visual camera as part of the organization’s Small Uncrewed Multi-Domain Systems – Ground Program of Record. 

Most recently, in an effort to secure further Army partnerships, Bounce Imaging connected with xTech at xTechLive during SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, in May 2025. The company pitched its technology to Army leaders, including xTechLive’s partner, the Directorate for Strategy and Transformation—formerly the Army Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Task Force. 

For xTechLive, the company added perimeter and distance sensing capabilities to its camera. As the second-place winner, Bounce Imaging received $25,000 in cash prizes, a six-week accelerator hosted by the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center and Griffiss Institute, and the opportunity to participate in an experimentation event in August 2025 in New Mexico.  

“The pitch competition itself spurred us to invest the time to develop the project further and get it ready to share with big Army,” said Fargason. “We wouldn’t have been able to push this project forward as rapidly as we did if it wasn’t for the pitch competition.”  

Francisco Aguilar, Bounce Imaging chief executive officer, emphasized that the competition’s greatest value came from leadership feedback and experimentation opportunities. “By far, the most important things are real experimentation where we can validate our technology and our TRL and connect with areas of impact,” he said. 

Bounce Imaging continues to refine and test its camera alongside Army partners, including Department of Army Military Intelligence-Science and Technology and Southwest Military Airlift Command from xTechLive, as well as various Army units, to eventually deliver a new level of safety to the force.  

Beyond the SOCOM program of record and ongoing Army testing, Bounce Imaging is deploying its technology with a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally. The devices are also in nearly 800 U.S. law enforcement agencies, including every Federal Bureau of Investigation field office and most U.S. Marshal Services offices, and are part of a$15 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection.  

Looking ahead, Bounce Imaging remains focused on bringing warfighters and first responders home safely. Fargason shared that SOCOM end-users gave the most meaningful feedback: the camera helped warfighters return safely from missions. 

Mark Fargason, Bounce Imaging COO, demonstrates the throwable, 360-degree camera during the xTechLive experimentation event in August 2025. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army xTech Program.

About the Army xTech Program 

The Army xTech Program is the Army’s premier tool for scouting and accelerating dual-use technologies that directly enhance Soldier readiness and mission success. Through dynamic prize competitions like xTechSearch, xTech identifies breakthrough solutions and opens doors for nontraditional companies to engage with and deliver capabilities to the Army. Since its launch in 2018, xTech has awarded over $30 million in non-dilutive cash prizes across 48 competitions—fueling innovation pipelines and delivering transformative technologies that matter on the battlefield.   

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Any references to commercial products or services are not, and shall not be construed as, official Army or DOW endorsements.