NAED member Flir made a huge splash at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 7th, when the manufacturer introduced its new FLIR ONE Thermal Imaging System.
“We’ve been attending for several years now, so we were able to get space without too much difficulty,” Flir CEO Andy Teich told tED magazine. “This is a consumer oriented product that is highly innovative. CES is the logical place to launch such a product.”
FLIR ONE’s ability to see and measure infrared energy gives consumers a versatile new tool that can be applied in a wide variety of applications. For example, homeowners and contractors with a FLIR ONE can easily identify heat or cooling leaks in buildings, find studs in walls, or locate water damage.
“This product allows contractors to show what’s below the surface in a building. Find energy loss problems and detect moisture problems,” Teich said. “It will also show a level of proficiency and differentiation for those who have it and understand it, versus those who do not.”
FLIR ONE attaches to any Apple i-Phone 5 or 5s smart phone and displays a live thermal image on the phone’s screen, giving users the unprecedented ability to see the world in a way the naked eye cannot, including in complete darkness.
“It is as easy to attach as a backup battery case,” Teich said to tED magazine. “The application is incredibly simple and intuitive. I have seen young children pick it up and capture images and send them to their friends in just seconds. The average user can attach the case and have it imaging in less than 30 seconds.”
Teich also reports the contractors who saw the FLIR ONE at the show had an immediate, positive reaction.
“This may sound unbelievable, but every contractor we have shown it to thus far has said ‘I want ONE’. That said, I believe they will see this as a competitive differentiator to win jobs and thus they may not want all of their competitors to have one, as it will re-level the playing field,” Teich said.
A worldwide rollout for FLIR ONE is planned for spring 2014. FLIR ONE houses its own rechargeable battery that can power the device for two hours of continuous use and can boost iPhone 5 battery life by up to 50 percent.
“The reaction from people at the show was overwhelming,” Teich told tED magazine. “Our booth was packed from start to finish. We will judge the success in two ways – near term, in how many product pre-registrations we receive and the overall industry/press reaction and coverage of it. Longer term, one we begin shipping units to retailers, we will evaluate the sell-through rates and re-order demands.”