Driving at night can be especially difficult if you live in a rural area. Animals jump out of nowhere and sometimes, so do people. Long, curvy, narrow roads can be extremely dangerous to drive down when it is dark out. Flir has designed a set of infrared cameras that can detect body heat and are installed just like a navigation system. The camera is in the grill of the car and shows a picture on a screen of what is ahead of you, further than what you can see. Sometimes your eyes just aren’t good enough.
Flir Systems is a company that is not very well known but their products are worth looking into. Tech savvy consumers who are up to date on technology have most likely heard of some of Flir’s technology. This company specializes in infrared technology mostly in law enforcement and the war in Iraq. Some of their products are used to help detect land mines or other explosives in Afghanistan as well as help monitor the U.S. Mexico border for illegal substances or drugs. Flir’s technology is extremely helpful and useful. These products help soldiers protect their own lives as well as save others. I don’t see a reason why this company wouldn’t be extremely successful. Their products do seem to be a little expensive but we are talking about protecting lives. The U.S. has spent insane amounts of money funding the war so maybe the government is buying the right technology. Flir also sells their products to foreign governments though. If there were a way to do this, Flir should just sell to American companies. Why sell the same products to the people we are fighting? They are using our own technology against us.
Even though most of Flir’s products are sold to U.S. and foreign governments, they are trying to push their products to other businesses like auto manufacturers. Their company focuses on safety so why not make your automobile safer? Just like the products that they sell to the army, these infrared screens would be a little costly but definitely worth it. I can’t tell you how many times I have driven down a dark road and then out of nowhere a person is walking along the side of the street. With this new technology, you would be able to see this person for a few miles before approaching them and your car would beep letting you know something is there. So many lives are lost due to car accidents and I think this technology would definitely help.
They are also make home surveillance devices and they are trying to introduce something called thermography. This device would help homeowners and inspectors to detect if there are “gas and water leas, poor insulation, other inefficient use of energy, and structural damage invisible to the eye”. This technology, just like all the others, is worth spending the money on. It is so hard to notice things like gas leaks yet it is crucial to know when one happens. With this device, you would be protecting your home and family. I honestly think that all of their inventions are extremely important and one day they will be used by everyone.
Source: Business Week: Flir Leads in Night Vision Gear
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I think that the products the "Flir" company are producing sound ground breaking. I too have often been driving at night and found myself slamming on the breaks to avoid hitting a deer or other animal. I know that if I had more information on this product I would definitely consider having it installed in my car. The use of their products in Iraq and Afghanistan also seem incredible. I think that it would be wise to invest much of our money into such infrared technologies if they do indeed save lives. With regards to selling the products to other countries, I do not necessarily think this is a bad thing. I think that the protection of lives is important everywhere so products like the Infrered screen should absolutely be marketed all over the world. Also, concerning the technology used in war, I think it would be wise to make some kind of a deal with the forgein governments. At some point, they other countries will figure out how such systems are made and would probably profit from it themselves so I would not necessarily avoid the selling of the product to other countries. Also, the home surveillance devices sound very useful. I think that any product that can help increase the health of people as well as save lives should be given proper attention.
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