When you think of Caterpillar, you don’t usually think of smartphones. The company behind the famous yellow and black construction machines has created a $600 smartphone with a built-in Flir thermal imaging camera. Duubbed the “Cat S60,” the smartphone runs on Android Marshmallow, is extremely durable, waterproof and also features a regular camera.
The Lepton sensor by Flir, one of the largest thermal imaging companies in the world, was the choice of sensor by Caterpillar to be integrated into the body of the device. The sensor can show a live thermal image, measure surface temperature and produce photos and videos – however, resolution is limited to VGA (640 X 480.)
Some uses for thermal imaging include detecting flaws in insulation, monitoring heat loss in doors or windows and giving the user the ability to see in the dark. While this may be more of a niche product meant more for construction workers or contractors, the convenience of carrying something so small makes this device perfect for virtually anyone.
The Cat S60 is priced at $600 and will be launched later this year.
Specifications:
- Made with strengthened die cast steel frame
- 1 mm thick Gorilla Glass 4 Display
- 720p 4.7-inch display
- 13MP rear camera & 5MP front-facing camera
- 3GB of RAM & 32GB of expandable storage
- Can survive a drop of almost six feet
- Waterproof for an hour at a depth of about 16 feet
- Runs on Android Marshmallow and has a 3800mAh battery
- Touch screen will work even with wet fingers or with gloves on
