‘Within our division, we made the decision


four years ago to target the firefighting market because we felt the market was too conservative on the price. Our target from day one was to be disruptive in pricing,’ explained Rickard Lindvall. ‘Te technology we had was perfect for that market because not only could the infrared cameras see through smoke, but the system can very precisely measure temperatures, such as body temperature, without the need for direct contact. We therefore tasked some of our product managers and engineers with focusing on the development of a complete lower-cost solution that, in the end, was almost half the price of what was previously available on the market.’ Today, Lindvall continued, almost all professional firefighters in the Western hemisphere use infrared technology to detect people trapped in buildings, assess whether fires are burning behind closed doors or walls, and to navigate safely within smoke-filled rooms. ‘In Sweden,’ he added, ‘it’s now mandatory for all firefighters to have an infrared camera – that’s the real indicator of how important our technology is.’


A wealth of applications Lindvall emphasises that a driving factor behind the company’s development of thermal imaging technology has been the desire to improve and potentially save lives. In 2005, Flir Systems began to supply automobile manufacturer BMW with its night vision systems. Tese infrared cameras are now integrated into BMW’s premium range, as well as certain cars by Audi and Mercedes, to provide drivers with an early warning system to alert them to objects, such as pedestrians and animals, close to the vehicle. Tat warning is increased should the object be in the direct path of the vehicle. ‘Another safety application for our technology


is a “man overboard” system for cruise ships that detects someone if they fall, sounds an alarm, and then continues to track the person in the water via an infrared camera until they can be rescued,’ added Lindvall. A potential future avenue for thermal imaging


systems is the medical field. ‘Te technology is maturing, and the impact could be life-changing,’ Lindvall commented. ‘One application is the detection of breast cancers, as tumours result in an accelerated local metabolism, which in turn causes an increase in blood vessels.


www.imveurope.com @imveurope


Matrox Design Assistant vision software


It inspects it all.


Flir One is a thermal imager for the iPhone


Tis means that tumours radiate an increased amount of heat energy, resulting in a rise in skin temperature.’ Providing a safer and less invasive alternative to mammography, infrared cameras could potentially be used to detect tumours by detecting this localised change in temperature, and research is currently being conducted in this area. Lindvall added that Flir Systems has given cameras to ambulance crews in Sweden to help paramedics decide on the urgency of individual cases where there are a large number of casualties, as a decrease in body temperature can indicate factors such as the patient being in shock. Tis is an application that the company continues to invest in developing. Beyond improving people’s safety, Flir Systems


We introduced Flir


One, an attachment for the iPhone 5, so that people could benefit from having a personal thermal imager


is also keen to get its technology into the hands of the general public. ‘We want to keep people safe, but more than that we want to improve their everyday lives,’ Lindvall explained. ‘We introduced Flir One, an attachment for the iPhone 5, so that people could benefit from having a personal thermal imager. And the applications range from checking the energy efficiency of your home, tracing water leaks, and finding lost pets, to detecting fever in children


and ensuring that food has been prepared to the correct temperature. ‘Te potential is huge and in the years to


come we hope that everyone will know about thermal imaging technology because it will be making a difference in their lives,’ continued Lindvall. ‘It’s certainly not easy to produce an infrared camera that measures exact temperatures all of the time, but we’ve been refining the process for more than 60 years. ‘Tat focus has made us experts and has led


to our setting the standard for thermography testing and analysis. Ultimately though, we know this is just the beginning of our journey.’ O


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