Caterpillar S60 - smartphone with integrated thermal camera

[frenky]

Caterpillar has released the first phone with integrated thermal camera (Flir Lepton):

CAT S60

Strengthened Die Cast Frame
Drop proof to 1.8m, MIL Spec 810G
Waterproof to depths of up to 5 meters for one hour
Super bright display (typical 540 nits), Gorilla Glass 4
4.7” HD (1280 x 720) capacitive multi-touch with auto wet finger & glove support
Optimised battery performance (3800mAh)
High quality audio experience (>105dB)
Underwater 13MP main camera with dual flash, 5MP front-facing camera
4G LTE
Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor
32GB ROM, 3GB RAM
Android™ Marshmallow
Dedicated FLIR thermal camera app with MSX technology; still image, panorama, and video capture; changeable heat palettes; temperature spot meter; and min, max, and average temperature data

It will be available later this year for $599 (649€; £500).

Currently there is no info about Lepton version (or resolution)...

Press release:
http://www.catphones.com/en-gb/news/press-releases/cat-s60-announced-as-worlds-first-smartphone-with-integrated-thermal-camera

Sources:
http://gizmodo.com/caterpillars-new-s60-is-the-first-smartphone-with-flir-1759685817
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2447327/cat-s60-is-the-worlds-first-thermal-imaging-smartphone
http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/18/11032288/cat-s60-flir-thermal-camera-android-smartphone
http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/18/cat-s60-thermal-camera-smartphone/





But if we can believe the images it has at least 1024x768 thermal resolution. 

Big images:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/hgkmsq2csijahsaeebem.jpg
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/ilekxevne9nby2lrawvx.jpg
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/fqz7olmmcym9llhxpqw0.jpg
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/i7ebwz6pdsxa8opcexow.jpg

Real life photo:

It's hard to say if its Lepton 2 or 3.

[schlafli]

I may have just found my next phone!

[encryptededdy]

Yep, those look like T1020 sample images 

[encryptededdy]

Also I wonder what the quality of the MSX on this is. Since it's using a relatively high end 13 megapixel smartphone camera for the MSX instead of the usual FLIR crappy 640x480 camera, I expect this to deliver relatively sharp MSX outlines, especially combined with the LED flash.

[frenky]

Yep, those look like T1020 sample images 

You're right. They used cropped version of this T1020 image:

[frenky]

Engadget has a gallery of photos: http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/18/cat-s60-thermal-camera-smartphone/#gallery=366061&slide=3801975

[quarros]

Paint me definitely interested. Question is how it will preform outside the marketing bubble.

[OrBy]

If you look at all the images of the phone only the pics from theinquirer.net seem to show a phone with a real functioning thermal camera - the rest look like the plugged the upper hole with a second normal camera.

I wish companies would be fined for putting unrealistic pictures. I am fine with them have the wrong camera in the product shots but the quality of the thermal images is just a "little" misleading.

[schlafli]

It looks like the phone may have 2 dedicated shutter buttons. One for thermal, one for visual.

According to this caption & image, the phone is dual-sim: http://www.computerbild.de/fotos/cb-News-Handy-15108957.html#7


I guess we'll find out more next week at MWC.

[-jeffB]

I wonder what kind of protective layer they'll have over the thermal lens? The SeeK has a pretty deeply recessed lens, and of course the E4 has it protected even better. The marketing shot seems to show a cover that's flush with the surface of the phone; even if I carried it in a holster at all times, I'd expect that cover to get scratched up really quickly.

[frenky]

Perhaps that cover acts like a shutter?
When you flip the switch to activate thermal camera, the cover moves away?

It looks quite similar to Flir One v2:

[encryptededdy]

The thermal lens on this Engadget photo seems suspiciously small - I'm pretty sure both FLIR lepton modules have larger lenses.

However, frenky's photo shows the usual IR window over the lepton that the FLIR One (and most other lepton cameras) have.

So I wonder whether the Engadget photo is just of a mockup or if it is actually a mechanical cover like frenky suggests.

Also I'm pretty disappointed with the quality of the MSX... the 13-megapixel smartphone camera is definitely capable of much higher quality MSX results - it looks like here they're downscaling to 640x480 or smaller before processing the MSX - perhaps it's a processing power limitation?

[encryptededdy]

Also the FLIR C2 comes in at $699... doesn't this basically kill the C2?

Even if it's still a 80x60 lepton (unlikely, it's probably 160x120), the Cat S60 still offers a much better visual camera, expandable storage via. MicroSD and a nice HD LCD screen (instead of that pretty crappy 320x240 screen on the C2).

Not to mention you also get a phone.

[OrBy]

Also the FLIR C2 comes in at $699... doesn't this basically kill the C2?

Even if it's still a 80x60 lepton (unlikely, it's probably 160x120), the Cat S60 still offers a much better visual camera, expandable storage via. MicroSD and a nice HD LCD screen (instead of that pretty crappy 320x240 screen on the C2).

Not to mention you also get a phone.

Agreed on all counts!

[tomas123]

The thermal lens on this Engadget photo seems suspiciously small - I'm pretty sure both FLIR lepton modules have larger lenses.

This is a fake preproduction image.
The Flir sensor is covered with an IR filter

see

[MYU]

Info about cat S60 from Flir on facebook:

The Lepton sensor being used is 80x60, it is the same lens found in the FLIR ONE.
It is being blended with a visible camera and upscaled to output 640x480, just like the FLIR ONE.

[marshallh]

Finally, a phone I can get for my sister she can't break.

[Fraser]

I have previously stated that the LEPTON 2 is not due to be discontinued. I am surprised, however, to hear that this unit and the C2 are equipped with it rather than the more impressive LEPTON 3. I would have thought FLIR would want to make a big 'splash' with their new releases.

How long before we see a Fluke 87 like multimeter equipped with visible light and LEPTON camera I wonder ? Then there is the budget drone thermal imaging market to tap into. If FLIR play this right they could dominate the budget thermal imaging marketplace with OEM's mounting their LEPTONS in all manner of hosts. Phone today, then tablets, followed by laptop webcam style external cameras ? FLIR also do a visible light security camera. Expect to see a LEPTON based budget thermal security camera soon.

Fraser

[OrBy]

Expect to see a LEPTON based budget thermal security camera soon.

Too late - check out the FLIR TCX line.

http://www.flir.ca/security/content/?id=67949

[Fraser]

Anhh they released it earlier than I had expected. Interesting

Fraser

[encryptededdy]

Expect to see a LEPTON based budget thermal security camera soon.

Too late - check out the FLIR TCX line.

http://www.flir.ca/security/content/?id=67949

Why the hell is it 80 x 45? Did they really have to crop a 80x60 image to 16:9 widescreen?

[Fraser]

Agreed. The world of monitors and cameras seems fixated on 16:9 format these days

Having the option of 4:3 or 16:9 in a menu would be a better idea.

Fraser

[Brumby]

I don't care what their argument is ... if there are 80x60 pixels on the sensor, I want them ALL.

Software options can sort out what happens on the display.

[schlafli]

Found a hands-on look from MWC: http://gizmodo.com/cat-s60-hands-on-the-phone-that-lets-you-see-like-pred-1760419995

Update: and another: http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/21/11082732/cat-s60-flir-worlds-first-phone-thermal-camera

No new info, just some pictures and gifs of a working device.

[encryptededdy]

woah... I can't believe I didn't notice this earlier.



There's now a temperature span bar/indicator on the right (which is something that the FLIR One really needs).