Sounds like sub-$1000 UAV-quality IR camera are coming soon. FLIR announced an IR camera for smartphones today, along with the low-cost sensor package (Lepton) behind it.
FLIR Systems, Inc.announces the launch of FLIR ONE™, the first consumer-oriented thermal imaging system. Introduced today at CES 2014, FLIR ONE places the power of thermal imaging technology into the palm of the consumer via an easy-to-use smartphone accessory case.
FLIR ONE attaches to any Apple iPhone 5 or 5s* smartphone and displays a live thermal image on the phone's screen, giving users the unprecedented ability to see the world in a way the naked eye cannot, including in complete darkness. With a targeted MSRP of $349, FLIR ONE senses heat rather than light utilizing FLIR's revolutionary new Lepton™ camera core. This core incorporates the same FLIR® thermal imaging technology that has revolutionized the way the world thinks about security, public safety, energy efficiency, nighttime navigation, industrial production, preventive maintenance, and the enjoyment of the outdoors.
FLIR ONE's unique ability to see and measure infrared energy gives consumers a versatile new tool that can be applied in a wide variety of applications. For example, homeowners and contractors with a FLIR ONE can easily identify heat or cooling leaks in buildings, find studs in walls, or locate water damage. An outdoor enthusiast can observe wildlife, day or night, navigate in the dark, determine if the day's catch is fully cooked, or make sure a campfire is out by using FLIR ONE. A family can detect intruders in total darkness, find a lost pet, or see through smoke in an emergency using a FLIR ONE.
A worldwide rollout for FLIR ONE is planned for spring 2014, and it will be available in gray, white, or gold colors. FLIR ONE houses its own rechargeable battery that can power the device for two hours of continuous use and can boost iPhone 5 battery life by up to 50 percent.
"FLIR ONE represents a dramatic step in our pursuit of 'infrared everywhere.' As the first truly consumer focused thermal imager, FLIR ONE introduces thermal imaging technology to a completely new group of customers than we currently serve," said Andy Teich, President and CEO of FLIR. "Our products have a rich history of enabling users to do things they thought impossible, and we are enthusiastic to see how consumers enable further innovation through the creation of new applications for thermal imaging."
Comments
If anyone is interested, I managed to get the SEEK THERMAL camera to stream via WiFi using a Raspberry Pi 2. I'm next going to try to see if I can connect an analog video transmitter to it for IR FPV. (The Pi has an AV out on it).
This would be the only sub $500 solution for IR FPV that I have seen. On the Pi it can also record to an SD card.
I'm scaling the 204x156 image up to 640x480
hey folks....
Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in here.
I saw these guys at CES and had a chance to talk with some of their Product managers. I believe this is a 50 pixel camera.
They ARE using computer compositing to create higher res images.
Trying it out on the show floor. You lose the ability to distinguish human-level heat sources from more than about 20 meters away.;
This is very good news. I was waiting for the 3DR solution that I heard was brewing. Does anyone know how to interface to the Lepton sensor with, say, a BeagleBone Black?
I hate the fact they named their company FLIR.
It's like an automobile company naming itself "CAR", or a UAV company naming itself, well... "UAV".
In case you didn't know, FLIR has been the military term for "Forward Looking InfraRed" systems since at least the 1970's, Primarily Ti and Honeywell systems, but there were others as well.
Marty, That is the problem with this. It doesn't have a sufficient frame rate to be useable. All you are going to get is a capture every second or so. In other words, it will probably be blurry.
Don't get me wrong here guys.. I think it's great they are coming down in size and price. I just don't think they are useable from an aircraft yet. I would really like to see Flir put out some images of this trying to spot heat source from 400-500 feet away. Preferably video from something moving faster than walking speed.
Until then, I am saving my money.
By high-speed camera, I mean high frame-rate for slow motion analyis
This is pretty nice, but I'm really looking forward to effective low cost high-speed cameras. This will help us (or at least me) understand the physics of things I'm doing.
BTW Chris... Enjoyed your Adafruit Hardware Hangout last night.
FLIR ONE™
Stepping back from the Flir ONE tree to look at a forest (or maybe several different forests) I think that Euan has a point. If a product is good enough for use on some small unmanned aerial vehicles, and it's price-point is low enough, and it is actually available then some of us will buy it. More will buy as the cost is lowered and/or the capability is increased. But the level of quality needs to be good enough for the application that we, as buyers, have in mind. I have plenty of items on the shelf that I will never use. For me, they were unfortunate choices but also learning experiences. (I will leave out my story of frying an FM transmitter late one night while soldering the right wires to the wrong places.) This blog post and thread of comments is yet another example of how this community works for the common good.
Frankly, affordable FLIR will be the key to take up on my S&R volunteer service...spotting a single orange speck (body heat) on a blue background (snow) will be a godsend. Having enough resolution to make out shapes etc is really only a bonus.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next