Quantum jump in cheap night vision dashcam?

[JimM]

I got to thinking about dash cam performance at night. Then my mind went to IR. Take a peek at a technology that was placed in some Cadillacs over a decade ago:

Also,


https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pathfindir

and

http://www.flir.com/cores/display/?id=51221



Now, if a dash cam used several of these micro-bolometers (for wider field), the output could be read by a post-processor (cheap single board micro) and printed across the screen or heads-up display and memory in any color pallet desired. Economy of scale is the point. I'd pay $1000 USD for audio and 360 degree video with decent (very high) ISO night vision.

Thoughts??

 

[niko]

I got to thinking about dash cam performance at night. Then my mind went to IR. Take a peek at a technology that was placed in some Cadillacs over a decade ago:

Also,


https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pathfindir

and

http://www.flir.com/cores/display/?id=51221



Now, if a dash cam used several of these micro-bolometers (for wider field), the output could be read by a post-processor (cheap single board micro) and printed across the screen or heads-up display and memory in any color pallet desired. Economy of scale is the point. I'd pay $1000 USD for audio and 360 degree video with decent (very high) ISO night vision.

Thoughts??

Benz also uses this, but I guess it cost 5-10x your budget.

 

[JimM]

Benz also uses this, but I guess it cost 5-10x your budget.

Economies of scale are the solution to these high prices ...... as well as as disassociating the tech with high-end autos.

 

[kamkar]

Ford even have it

I am more thinking thermal vision here.

It would be nice if that guy who had the stuff to make regular CMOS chips 1000 X more lighe sensetive was used, it was pretty simple and dident even need a major retooling for doing it on chips of today.

 

[jokiin]

Economies of scale are the solution to these high prices .

if you build it they will come

unfortunately it requires a huge investment to get that economy of scale, whose money are you gambling with?

 

[JimM]

if you build it they will come

unfortunately it requires a huge investment to get that economy of scale, whose money are you gambling with?

If anyone could pull this off, it would be a Chinese manufacturer. I'd bet that micro-bolometers could be sourced relatively cheap there.

 

[jokiin]

of course, but who is going to fund it?

 

[BobDiaz]

There are two types of IR here, Near IR and Far IR.

The Near IR is just under red light and the CMOS sensors are very sensitive to this light. However, this is NOT the light generated from heat unless the item is VERY VERY hot. An 800 degree F (427 C) soldering iron is NOT hot enough for a Near IR camera. Near IR cameras are very reasonable in cost. One could have IR lights on the car, but the light will fall off to the square of the distance.

The Far IR is heat and everything above Absolute Zero gives off this light. The only problem is that the cost for the sensor is high and the resolution is very low. The good news is the cost is dropping. However, glass is opaque to Far IR light. The camera could NOT be used inside the car because the window glass blocks the Far IR Light.