Any time I hear the word ‘FLIR,’ “Bad Boys” by Inner Circle immediately starts playing in my head.
Countless ‘sick days’ of my youth were spent at home watching Cops, and nearly every episode featured a would-be John Dillinger frantically running from police. As the criminal hurdled over fences and ducked through alleyways, a helicopter-mounted FLIR camera tracked his every move.
You may be able to outmaneuver an Interceptor-bound patrolman on foot, but thermal imaging never gets tired. If you’re producing heat, you’ll light up FLIR’s sensors like a Christmas tree.
It’s only logical that this type of technology eventually made its way into the civilian automotive sector. Whether it’s to catch a rogue carjacker, identify an oblivious pedestrian, or spot the neighborhood dog, thermal imaging cameras can go a long way to keeping the streets safe.
In fact, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have already incorporated night vision systems into some of their vehicles. FLIR’s latest system, the PathFindIR II, is now available as an aftermarket add-on.
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The PathFindIR II improves on the original PathFindIR by incorporating a nighttime pedestrian detection feature.
As you can see in this product video, the system actively identifies objects with a heat signature (i.e., life) and can see through dust and smoke. This technology will allow drivers to see up to four times farther in darkness than they can with standard headlamps.
FLIR calls the technology “the World’s Sixth Sense.” Haley Joel Osment quotes aside, the tagline speaks well to the heightened awareness the system provides. PathFindIR II’s display can be routed to a either head-up display or an aftermarket monitor.
