New Smartphone Has FLIR Thermal Imaging Built In
Thermal cameras were once an expensive tool that few used but Caterpillar has changed all that with their new smartphone with built in thermal imaging sensors.
From the Caterpillar website:
“The new Cat S60 features a built-in thermal imaging camera from FLIR, the global leader in thermal imaging technology, that puts the heat sensitive technology in a smartphone for the very first time. Ideal for builders, electricians, emergency services, utility workers and so many more, the thermal camera can be used to almost endless effect, saving time and money by detecting heat loss around windows, spotting moisture and finding overheating appliances.
As with all Cat products, the S60 is also an extremely tough rugged smartphone. Featuring a Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 touchscreen, it exceeds military specifications and is designed to withstand drops onto concrete from up to 1.8m. The rugged credentials of the S60 also make this the world’s most waterproof smartphone, able to handle depths of up to five metres for one hour, turning it into a reliable underwater camera.”
If you are on the job site, you can drop it, use it in the rain…throw it just for fun. This thing is tough. It also has a Lepton sensor that allows the FLIR camera to see in total darkness, plus, it comes with a standard camera. From the Gizmodo article, “…since the standard camera is next to the thermal imaging Lepton sensor, the two can work together to create an enhanced hybrid image by merging live feeds from both cameras together. That was one of the most important innovations that FLIR introduced on the FLIR ONE, and it allowed those who weren’t familiar with thermal imaging to be able to easily decipher what they were looking at.” Plus, if the camera handles depths of up to 5 meters (a little over 16 feet) you could have some off-the-job fun. Go snorkeling. Give it to the kids to make underwater movies. Amazing.
At this time it will be closer to June before it’s available and it should sell for $599. It will have 32GB of onboard storage, 3GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon Octa-core processor powering Android Marshmallow. “It’s 4.7-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen display can also be used with wet fingers or while wearing gloves, but with a resolution of just 1280 x 720, you won’t want to rely on it as your main device for media consumption”, reports Gizmodo.
It also won’t be skinny, don’t compare its look to your iPhone. It’s just slightly thicker than half an inch and has location tracking using GPS, assisted-GPS, Glonass, and even the Chinese Beidou satellite network as well as Bluetooth, NFC, an FM radio tuner, and barometer and altimeter sensors. This baby has everything. Maybe I’m in the wrong business. I don’t technically NEED one but…
Source: Gizmodo and CAT Phones
