The IR-Blue is an affordable thermal imaging accessory for iPhone and Android Devices. See the world in a new way.
If you missed out on the IR-Blue Kickstarter you can still get one at store.rhworkshop.com
Latest Updates
Stretch Goal Reached! The kit and the assembled IR-Blue will have both Bluetooth 2 and Bluetooth 4 built in. The IR-Blue will work with iPhone and Android Devices.
Stretch Goal Announced! $150,000 for dual mode Bluetooth 2 and Bluetooth 4 built in.
The IR-Blue
I have a 100 year old house that can be drafty and hard to heat in the winter. I have been wanting a thermal imaging camera to help find leaks ever since we bought this house. The cheapest one I could find was $1,500 so I finally just made my own. This is the IR-Blue.
The IR-Blue lets you see the temperature of things around you. It uses a 64 zone non-contact InfraRed sensor array to read the temperature of what you are viewing. The IR-Blue connects using Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device to show the temperature readings as colors on the screen.
The IR-Blue supports Bluetooth 2 and Bluetooth 4 BLE. It works with the iPhone 4S, 5, the New iPads and the 5th gen iPod Touch. It also works with Android 2.3 and newer devices with at least 480 x 800 resolution displays. (Bluetooth 4.0 is not officially supported by Android yet, when the bluetooth 4.0 drivers are stable we will support it for Android also.)
Gizmodo - "Awesome Thermal Imager Turns Your iPhone or Android Into the Predator’s Eyes"
Engadget - "The secret to turning smartphones into super-cheap thermal imaging hardware"
PetaPixel - "Instantly turns the iPhone into a cheap thermal imaging camera"
HackADay - "Perfect for looking for cold drafts in an old house"
Hacked Gadgets - "I can see many home owners purchasing one to see where their insulation could be improved"
Phone Arena - "Here's an invention that you don't see every day"
Apps
The Apps for iPhone and Android will be available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for free.
This is an Open Source Hardware project. The source code for iPhone, the firmware and Eagle design files for for the Bluetooth 4 version are available now at github.com/RHWorkshop/. The Android files are still being revised and will be available soon.
Rewards
Shipping within the US is included, shipping outside the US is $5 for the PCB and $12 for everything else.
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PCB ONLY - A Printed Circuit Board for the IR-Blue. For this reward level you get a bare Printed Circuit Board for the Bluetooth 4 model, the Bluetooth 2 model or the Dual Mode Model. This does not include a case or any other parts but it does include a detailed Bill of Materiels so you can source your own parts. You will receive a survey at the end of the Kickstarter and you may then choose which of the above items you prefer.
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BUILD IT YOURSELF KIT - Everything you need to build an IR-Blue. All parts are through hole and easy to solder except the Bluetooth module which will already be soldered to the PCB. The firmware will already be loaded on the module. ($160 estimated retail value)
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IR-BLUE FULLY ASSEMBLED - Fully assembled and tested IR-Blue. You are ready to start seeing the world in far infrared. ($195 estimated retail value)
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RH Workshop
RH Workshop LLC is a technology research, design and product development organization. We specialize in making advanced technologies more available and affordable through open source.
Andy Rawson has been a technology industry professional for 15+ years and is an open source hardware developer. He is the founder of RH Workshop. Andy has created and shared the design of a simplified and affordable laser stereolithography 3D printer, a Delta robot experimentation kit and several other open source hardware projects.
Marcel Damhuis is a long time industrial controls programmer (PLC and Scada) from the Netherlands. He has 30+ years experience with designing and building electronics, programming embedded systems (AVR, PIC, ARM) as a hobbyist. Marcel is always tinkering with mechanical or electronic stuff in his free time.
Production
Each stage of production will be done with local businesses. The printed circuit boards (PCBs) will be made in Illinois or Colorado. The injection molded cases will be made in Minnesota, the PCB assembly for the IR-Blue will be done in Illinois. The cost of manufacturing a device like this in the US is a little more than overseas but not as much as you may think. Manufacturing in the US allows us to be on hand and involved in each step of production.
Risks and challenges
The IR-Blue is working and nearly production ready. We are working with a local manufacturing company that has the resources and ability to scale to whatever volume we need. The main risk for this project is unforeseen delays. The IR temperature sensor used in the IR-Blue is still new and not in wide distribution. The lead time from the manufacturer of this sensor, Melexis, is 20 weeks. The delivery dates for the rewards are based on this time plus the time needed to pack and ship the kits and the time needed for assembly and packaging of the complete IR-Blue. Most of the work will be done before the sensors arrive but any delays will be communicated at every step along the way.
