The New Infrared iPhone 5 Case Gives Your Phone Superhuman Powers


FlirCameraCaseSmartphone cases have come a very long way in the last decade. Until recently they have been fairly universally regarded as a simple blingy accessory, a way to further showcase your individual tech style. Now, the smartphone case industry is moving into interestingly useful territory. Sure, the 24-carat gold case is a statement piece, and Vysk Communications’ QS1 case claims to make your iPhone “unhackable” – but what if there was a case that gave you superpowers, one that allowed you to see the world the way, say, the Predator did? Well, thanks to FLIR Systems, now there is. The FLIR One case adds not only night vision capability to your phone, but allows you to see through walls to boot.

FlirCameraCase3The FLIR One case was developed for use on the Apple iPhone 5/5s series to add thermal imaging capabilities to the user’s phone. Thermal imaging works by gathering the infrared light emitted by objects which is invisible to the human eye. Infrared detectors in the device then read the light and turn it into a thermogram, which is then converted into electrical impulses and translated by a chip for display. The case is equipped with two side-by-side cameras on its backside to accomplish this – an infrared one and a VGA one that’s said to add depth and detail to infrared images. Various heat levels are then displayed in an array of colors; blues represent lower levels of heat while hotter elements will glow bright red or white. Without the iPhone attached to the case you might only see a simple heat map; with it, you can produce a sort of negative image of the object in front of you.

FlirCameraCase2The FLIR (forward-looking infrared device) One case comes with its own built-in battery, a 1400mAh unit that can power the add-on for up to two hours. The battery won’t help charge your iPhone, but it does keep the case from zapping your iPhone’s own power. One downside to the case is its heft – weighing in at 3.9 ounces, once attached to your iPhone it nearly doubles its total weight. Disregarding the weight for a moment though, the FLIR One is making some very interesting things possible.

FlirCameraCase4While the “cool factor” of the FLIR One is obvious (imagine Thermal selfies edited with one of FLIR’s companion TimeLapse, Paint and Panorama apps), its practical applications are even more exciting. FLIR Systems posits that the case could be useful in pinpointing the position of pipes in walls, finding weak spots in insulation, detecting hidden animals or lost pets in the dark, hunting, fishing, stalking, and generally being able to creep out your friends and family. My personal favorite possible uses though are the detection of car engine trouble for my old clunker, plus the ability to simply be able to see in the dark. Getting your hands on one of these bad boys won’t come cheap though - the FLIR One case is currently available for preorder for $349.99 and is slated to ship in the first week of August.

Topics: Technology News Apple Battery & Power Technology Display Screen Technology Gadgets & Peripherals Inventions & Innovations Smartphones & Mobile Devices

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