Of seeing what you cannot see without help or why FLIR should send me an NFR of their new infrared Drone camera…

(image is of the Trident ROV from their Kickstarter Campaign).

Walabot, as they originally intended it, was designed as home wall sonar. For DIY or professionals, it allows you to see studs quickly. You can also use it, however, for figure out where wiring is. You have to modify the sensitivity of the sensor in the software, but it is something you can do.

As an IT person, and a home automation fanatic, I am often interested in figuring out where wires are. It is funny, but wires, unlike studs, can change position over time. Unless they were pre-installed wires that don’t move out of the drilled holes in the studs they live in. The other thing I enjoy seeing where I am not able to see is the future growth area of Remotely Operated Vehicles or ROVs.

Drones offer us a chance to go and see things we can’t normally go and see. ROV systems allow us to head below the surface of the water to see what is below us. Drones allow us to fly overhead and see things we wouldn’t normally see without the drone. In fact, I think there are some offerings and solutions that both ROVs and Drones could be used for right away. FLIR, the people that make add on and devices for seeing infrared images from a Drone. The system allows you to find heat sources from above. (By the way, FLIR if you want a review, send me one of the Gimbals, and I would be happy to review it)!

1. Fire departments could deploy infrared drones to discover hot spots on roofs of buildings before sending fire fighters.
2. Drones can search at night for lost hikers, cooler air at night, warm hiker’s body would show on the infrared camera.
3. ROVs can be used by boaters to see what is under their boat.

Look these aren’t the only uses, but the uses for the devices is growing rapidly. I would love to play with a FLIR infrared camera on my drone to see what things look like from above, in infrared! Maybe someday I will have a chance to play with one!