The smartphone case industry is beginning to move away from bling-encrusted cheap tat and into the realms of ‘useful accessory’. FLIR systems has done just that and invented a case for iPhone with thermal-imaging capabilities, which it revealed at CES earlier this year but is finally about to go on sale. The FLIR One is an iPhone 5/5s case with both an infrared camera and a VGA one that’s supposed to add depth and detail to the infrared images. The device works by combining the heat signature information it gets from the infrared camera with the live camera image from the iPhone. This then delivers a composite thermal heat image. The result is a negative-type image of the various heat levels in an array of different colours – bright red and white being hottest. What is it used for? FLIR Systems explains that it will be useful for pinpointing the position of pipes in walls, finding weak spots in your home’s insulation, finding hidden animals in bushes and identifying leaks before they cause serious damage. Users will be able to take time lapse and panoramic thermal images, whilst being able to edit and share what they’ve captured. The case has its own battery pack, which holds a two hour charge, and weighs about the same as the phone. It retails for about $350 and will be available in August.
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