The FLIR One: What can a thermal imager for a phone?

The infrared camera for the phone, mounted in the case - a good idea, which was implemented by the creators of The FLIR One. One of the copies of the device fell into the hands of Wired journalists , who made up a rather detailed overview of the device's capabilities.

Immediately it should be said that FLIR One has so far been released only for Apple smartphones, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S. Already there are analogues that are suitable for many other models of smartphones, including Android-smarts. One of the following articles will be published on such analogues, and now let's take a look at the capabilities of FLIR One.
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The dog and the heat trail of the place where she slept

The gadget itself is monofunctional, its only task is to make the thermal radiation visible on the display of the smartphone. At the same time the image can be customized.

Can I choose different viewing modes?

Yes, there is the possibility of choosing the gray color scheme, the usual image of the thermal imager “rainbow” (as the developers called it) and the mode with the display of the most “hot” places.

What about the camera?

Actually, there are two cameras in the FLIR One: a regular camera and a thermal imager. The resolution of the thermal imager is 80 * 60, the usual camera is 640 * 480. As for the thermal imager - this mode is the standard for many models of infrared cameras.

In order to make the image more high-quality, the device software combines two “pictures”, from the thermal imager and the usual camera, together. Below are two images of the same dog: hybrid and using only an infrared camera.



Of course, if you use FLIR One in complete darkness, then an ordinary camera will be useless, so that only an infrared camera will work.

And yes, FLIR One can write video! True, only with fps = 8.1

Are there better thermal imagers?

Of course. But this is one of the most mobile models, which is always with you. FLIR One can be used for practical purposes and for entertainment — for example, showing children what heat radiation is.

In addition, the resulting image can be easily viewed on any modern device with a display.

Battery

FLIR One has its own battery, the gadget does not consume the battery life of the smartphone, this is a plus. But you need to understand that FLIR One will have to be charged separately from the device, so instead of one charging gadget we get two.

The negative point is that to charge the imager will have to disconnect it from the phone.

Does the FLIR One case make Apple's smartphone too bulky?

In general, the thickness of the FLIR One + iPhone exceeds the thickness of the smartphone itself (Captain Obvious has worked on this statement). But the system still enters the pocket easily, and all this does not look repulsively thick, the iPhone with such a case looks normal.

Do I need an application to work with the device?

Yes, you need to download the FLIR One app for the iPhone. The application allows you to use the camera, measures the temperature and allows you to receive photos and videos. A total of 4 applications have been released for FLIR One.



CloseUp . This application is necessary if you are going to shoot something from a distance of less than 1 meter. The results of shooting without CloseUp and with this application are below.



Paint . This application with the original name was designed for fun. With a finger touch to the display, you can turn a regular image into a “thermal” image.



Panorama . Actually, everything is clear from the title.



Timelapse . It is used to obtain images at a specific time interval.

What can I use the device for?

• Houses - to search for leaks, damage to the insulation of pipes or walls, overheated or, on the contrary, supercooled elements.
• On the street - everything is clear, the device can be used for orientation in the dark. This can be a hike, fishing, or a banal walk through the night park. Each animal in the vicinity, not to mention a human, will stand out on the screen.

By the way, enterprising information security specialists have found another use for the device:

Specifications

• Detection temperature range: from O ° C to 100 ° C
• Operating temperature: from O ° C to 45 ° C
• Weight: 90.718 g
• Dimensions: length - 139.7 mm, width - 60.96 mm, height - 21.59 mm
• Battery Capacity: 1400 mAh
• The main part of the device: the module Lepton Sensor, which allows to register infrared radiation
• Visible camera: VGA
• Charging method: micro USB and 900 mA network charger (first FLIR ONE and then iPhone charging)
• Connects to iPhone via USB interface.
• Compatibility with iPhone: iPhone 5, iPhone 5s based on iOS 7 and higher
• Included Applications: FLIR ONE MX

Where can I buy?

In the US, the developer sells the gadget, in Russia FLIR One can be ordered from Medgadgets .