The applications for thermal exist and the path to cost-targets is clear. Moreover, with growing awareness of thermal cameras’ affordability, we are seeing interest from manufacturers for applications that can improve existing automotive safety systems, i.e.
ADAS (advanced driver assist systems) applications using thermal cameras are emerging as system designers begin to understand the limitations of current ADAS technologies, as well as thermal’s lower cost and the role thermal can play in the ADAS technology stack. WP: We see enormous opportunities for the thermal industry in automotive. Seek ShotPRO – Seek Thermal EM: Do you foresee autonomous cars/robotic vehicles as a future opportunity for microbolometers? This will help them access new clients and stimulate growth by achieving lower price-points and greater capabilities in their products. At the same time, we will continue to selectively launch Seek-branded products while simultaneously expanding the performance and configuration options of our camera cores for cost-effective integration by our customers. Also, we have several customers who this fall are launching new products that will utilize our camera cores in the firefighting and outdoor categories. This is a pocket-sized thermal imager offering the best thermal resolution in its price class (206 x 156 or 320 x 240 formats), an adjustable blend of thermal and visible imagery, and the largest amount of integrated features of any similarly priced product. WP: We just announced the Seek Shot: a Seek-branded handheld thermal imaging tool. EM: What new products is Seek developing? Through a combination of our partners’ success and our own offerings, we are experiencing big market-share growth in all segments. a smart phone plug-in) or price point is required.
Moreover, our branded products are designed to broadly cross these markets, where a specific form factor (i.e. In each of these segments, we work with market-leading manufacturers possessing great brand and channel reach, allowing them to provide thermal imaging products for their customers at price points that will drive greater adoption and use. WP: Our growth is largely impelled by existing commercial IR applications: firefighting, security, tools & measurement equipment, and outdoor recreation. Believe it or not, in our short history we have built over 300,000 cameras/camera cores and we expect to continue this rapid growth in the future as thermal imaging becomes more mainstream.ĬompactPRO – Seek Thermal EM: Which uncooled IR applications drive this growth? Collectively, these product offerings have fueled our strong overall growth. We provide 206 and QVGA formats with a wide variety of lens options. In addition to the above, our growth is driven by sales of our cameras to other manufacturers, who take our thermal camera cores and integrate them into their own products. Coincident to these product releases, we rapidly expanded our distribution to include Europe and Asia. We currently make several versions of this product to address specific applications, i.e. This product is a self-contained thermal imager in a commercial-friendly form factor. We also launched a handheld product called Reveal, in both 206 and QVGA formats. We followed this product with a 320 x 240 offering, again providing QVGA resolution for the lowest price in its class.
Initially, Seek Thermal shipped a 206 x 156 camera attachment for Apple and Android smartphones – an attachment which at the time offered the highest resolution at its price point. In this relatively short time we have seen significant growth in our commercial and OEM products alike. William Parrish (WP): Seek Thermal has been shipping products commercially for the last three years.
Stay tuned! Eric Mounier (EM): Can you recap Seek Thermal’s impressive growth over the last few years? This indispensable review provides deep insight into the forecasts, trends, and applications for various uncooled LWIR technologies. Our interview comes at an opportune time, because in early January 2019 Yole will release the latest edition of its Uncooled IR Imagers report. Eric Mounier, Fellow Analyst at Yole Développement (Yole) the market and technology consultant company, spoke with William Parrish, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CTO of Seek Thermal, to get his unique view of the IR imaging market. Over the past several years, Seek Thermal has significantly increased its product shipments and is now a major uncooled IR player. The uncooled IR imaging market for commercial and defense applications is growing dramatically.