By topic (Commercial)


October 2024

September 2024

Thermal Imaging for Fire Prevention in Li-ion Battery StoragePREMIUM

A continuing use of amorphous silicon microbolometers

August 2024

July 2024

June 2024

Bullard Introduces New Line of Firefighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

Changes supplier of thermal cores

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

Teledyne FLIR Introducing T2SL OGI Camera ModulePREMIUM

Chinese T2SL OGI Market Exploding

February 2024

January 2024

Sony Launches Ultra-small pixel InGaAs FPAsPREMIUM

Integrators Don’t Hesitate to Incorporate Them

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

Chinese Infrared Companies Ups and DownsPREMIUM

The relative standings of the chief players

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

Obsidian Launching Novel Uncooled Sensors for Automotive ApplicationsPREMIUM

Samples Being Provided to Customers.

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

June 2022

CryoTech Preparing to Ship Initial Units to Lead CustomerPREMIUM

Disruptive Low-Cost Cryocooler

May 2022

Large Scale Microbolometer Production Based on Display Manufacturing TechnologiesPREMIUM

Obsidian Sensors Gets Ready to Release First Sensors

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

James Webb Space Telescope LaunchedPREMIUM

MCT FPAs at the Forefront

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

September 2021

Breakthrough for Infrared Use in Commercial AviationPREMIUM

Collins Aerospace Lands First EFVS Award by a Major Carrier

August 2021

June 2021

i3system in South Korea Develops HOT T2SL nBn DetectorPREMIUM

A product development roadmap that emphasizes T2SL over InSb

New Study Shows the Ineffectiveness of Thermal Screening for COVID-19PREMIUM

But Some Corporate Managers Continue to Favor the Technology

Teledyne DALSA Launching New Uncooled CameraPREMIUM

Based on new high dynamic range 12 µm core

May 2021

SCD New Product Introductions Expected in the Next 12 MonthsPREMIUM

HOT MWIR over the Full MWIR Band and Advanced SWIR

Improving Uncooled Sensors with Phononic CrystalsPREMIUM

A potential for dramatic improvements

April 2021

March 2021

Infrared Imaging Market Growth in 2020 and the Outlook for the Next 5 YearsPREMIUM

Upheaval with EST/Fever Screening in 2020. Traditional Infrared Markets Bouncing Back in 2021

Canon Introduces Automated Temperature Screening TabletPREMIUM

More Hype in Fever Screening

February 2021

The Teledyne Acquisition of FLIR SystemsPREMIUM

What the Presentations Did Not Say

January 2021

IVAS Program Ready to Move into ProductionPREMIUM

Virtual Reality Headset with Fused Infrared and Digital Low-Light Sensors

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

New Level of Hype and Misinformation about Temperature/Fever ScannersPREMIUM

SafeCheck USA Claims Its Point Scanner on a Frame Can Outperform Thermal Imagers

New Clinical Study by FDA on Fever Screening ThermographyPREMIUM

Potential Usefulness of Full-face Thermograms

September 2020

IRnova Moving SWaP T2SL Detectors into ProductionPREMIUM

The Only European Supplier of HOT MWIR T2SL

August 2020

FLIR Systems Ramps Up Production of its T2SL/nBn CorePREMIUM

Introduces Additional Functionality and Integrated Zoom Lens

Kiosk-type Temperature Screening is BoomingPREMIUM

U.S. Government Solicitations Jump on the Bandwagon

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

Fever Monitoring of Large Numbers of People in a CrowdPREMIUM

A Potential Solution Using Leading Edge Infrared Technology

April 2020

March 2020

February 2020

FLIR Systems Focuses on Automotive Pedestrian Detection SystemsPREMIUM

Achieves Good Results with Fused Thermal/Radar Sensor on Test Track

FLIR Discontinuing Sales of Thermal Riflescopes to IndividualsPREMIUM

Concentrating on Sales to Law Enforcement and other Professionals

January 2020

Using Infrared to Detect Dangerous AsteroidsPREMIUM

NASA’s NEO Surveillance Mission

December 2019

The Latest News in EFVS (Enhanced Flight Vision Systems) for PilotsPREMIUM

Passive millimeter wave (PMMW) joins infrared EFVS and Synthetic Vision

November 2019

Chinese Companies Hikvision and Dahua Sanctioned by U.S. PREMIUM

Placed on Entity List by U.S. Department of Commerce Sanction for Human Rights violations

Current Pedestrian Detection Systems Don’t Work, AAA SaysPREMIUM

Why the surprise, when none of them make use of thermal imaging

October 2019

Hikvision’s Strategy for Major Growth in Infrared SecurityPREMIUM

China's Leading Company in Infrared Security on the Move

September 2019

August 2019

Lightpath Infrared Lens Business Lands New OrdersPREMIUM

Company Consolidating Operations

July 2019

L3Harris Technologies Emerges After the Merger of L3 and HarrisPREMIUM

An Infrared Powerhouse and the Sixth Largest Defense Company in the U.S.

Schneider Electric Completes Sale of Pelco to Private Equity Firm Transom CapitalPREMIUM

Pelco Introducing New Thermal Security Cameras

June 2019

Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) Ready to Move into Commercial AirlinesPREMIUM

Certification expected by early 2020 for an Airbus aircraft

May 2019

Schneider Electric Selling PelcoPREMIUM

Planning to Introduce New Thermal Imaging Security Cameras

April 2019

LA Fire Department Goes 100% Thermal PREMIUM

All Los Angeles firefighters being equipped with Seek Thermal infrared imagers

Small Pixel Uncooled Microbolometer Market Splits into Two Halves as Some Suppliers Concentrate on Larger Formats OnlyPREMIUM

In an effort to stay out of highly competitive commercial markets some microbolometer suppliers are staying out of the mid-format (320 x 240) small pixel (10-12 µm) market.

March 2019

Infrared Imaging Market Growth in 2018 and the Outlook for the Next 5 YearsPREMIUM

The growth of commercial and dual-use infrared imaging markets in 2018 was mixed, with some applications flat, while others grew at double digits.

Niche Process Control with High-Speed Uncooled PbSe FPAsPREMIUM

New Infrared Technologies, NIT, (Madrid, Spain) has developed several in-line process applications for its PbSe FPAs.

SWIR Colloidal Quantum Dot (CQD) Cameras Go to MarketPREMIUM

After a long development phase, SWIR Colloidal Quantum Dot (CQD) cameras are now being shipped to customers.

Collins Aerospace EFVS to Fly on New Supersonic DemonstratorPREMIUM

Uncooled multi-sensor for takeoffs and landings

February 2019

Sofradir and Ulis Investing 150 Million Euros to Develop Next Generation InfraredPREMIUM

Sofradir plans new compound semiconductors and Ulis plans for smart sensors

Thermal Imaging for Autonomous Vehicles at CESPREMIUM

The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show displayed a push by suppliers of thermal imaging systems to have their technology included in self-driving cars.

January 2019

Single Photon SWIR LiDAR for Autonomous VehiclesPREMIUM

Argo AI which acquired Princeton Lightwave, has developed a LiDAR system based on InGaAsP Geiger mode Avalanche Photodiodes (GmAPDs) for autonomous vehicles. The GmAPDs, which operate in the SWIR (1.55 µm) spectrum and have single photon sensitivity, have a number of advantages over most LiDARs used in self driving cars which make use of near infrared (900 nm) GaAs lasers and silicon-based detectors. The most important of these advantages is the eye-safe wavelength of SWIR operation.

December 2018

Emerging Technologies – New ControlsPREMIUM

By Steve Tribble, Lakewood Technologies

 

New Export Controls on Emerging Technologies

Ultra Low-Cost Firefighting Thermal Imager Making Inroads in Urban Fire DepartmentsPREMIUM

Seek Thermal is making inroads in large fire department with its palm-sized firefighting camera.

JVC KENWOOD Developing Infrared Automotive Night Vision SystemPREMIUM

The Japanese company JVC KENWOOD is developing an automotive night vision system based on uncooled microbolometers. The system is expected to be used for both conventional cars and autonomous cars.

November 2018

3M Scott Breaks New Ground in the Pricing of Firefighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

3M Scott is putting pressure on the mainstream firefighting market by introducing a thermal imaging camera (TIC) with a 320 x 240 VOx uncooled microbolometer for $2K.

Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) are About to Bring Aircraft All the Way to TouchdownPREMIUM

The certification of EFVS to touchdown represents a milestone in the use of infrared systems for aircraft and is the first step in leading to the incorporation of EFVS in air transport (commercial airliners.)

Seek Thermal Launching New Handheld Thermal Imager for Building and Electrical InspectionPREMIUM

Seek Thermal is launching two new palm-sized thermal imagers based on the company’s 12 micron VOx microbolometers: Seek Shot (206 x 156) and Seek ShotPro (320 x 240)

October 2018

SCD Launching New XBn and InGaAs Cores for SWaP ApplicationsPREMIUM

SCD has developed a new low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) MWIR XBn core, as well as a 1280 x 1024 InGaAs core with 10 micron pixels.

FLIR Systems Completes Development of Ultra-compact InGaAs CorePREMIUM

FLIR Systems has developed the most compact, lightweight InGaAs core available

Monolithic Metalenses for T2SL FPAs Promise to Improve Sensitivity and Operating TemperaturePREMIUM

Microlens based metalenses have the potential of being monolithically integrated with infrared FPAs to increase FPA operating temperature and sensitivity.

St. Johns Optical Infrared Development Stalls After Exit of Key PeoplePREMIUM

St. Johns Optical Systems, SJOS, Sanford, Florida, has halted development on a  number of major development programs after the departure of key people, including researchers who had been carrying out PbSe FPA and infrared camera development.

September 2018

BAE Systems Reorganizes Commercial Uncooled Core BusinessPREMIUM

BAE Systems (Lexington, Massachusetts; Nashua, New Hampshire) is reorganizing its commercial uncooled core business. The responsibility for marketing and sales of uncooled VOx cores is now in Lexington at the location of the company’s uncooled foundry.

August 2018

FLIR Systems Moves to T2SL Infrared Detector TechnologyPREMIUM

FLIR Systems, which has long concentrated on its mature InSb FPA technology has been internally developing Type 2 Superlattice (T2SL) FPAs for use in future products.

The company, which has been part of the VISTA consortium, is making use of the InAs/GaSb epitaxial structures that have been developed by JPL and NRL under the VISTA program and grown by IntelliEPI and IQE. It is expected that the company will soon introduce a camera core based on a HOT MWIR 640 x 512 FPA with 15 micron pixels.

July 2018

Sofradir Reorganizes – Takes Advantage of Synergies Between Cooled and Uncooled BusinessesPREMIUM

Sofradir and Ulis are reorganizing in an effort to make their infrared detector businesses more efficient. In order to do so, the new management team will exploit synergies between the cooled Sofradir operations and the uncooled microbolometer operations of Ulis

Twelve departments are being set up, among them two new ones: Technology & Strategy and Projects & Programs. All of the departments will be common to both the cooled Sofradir and uncooled Ulis businesses. Previously, the Sofradir and Ulis operations had separate groups handling these functions.

June 2018

Competition Heats Up for Thermal Security CamerasPREMIUM

Several big Asian companies in video security are releasing new thermal security cameras.

May 2018

DRS Launches 10 Micron Uncooled CorePREMIUM

Leonardo DRS is launching its TENUM™640 core, based on a Wafer-Level-Packaged (WLP) 640 x 512 VOx microbolometer with the smallest pixel size (10 µm) available anywhere.

FLIR Systems Launching New Infrared Security LinePREMIUM

FLIR Systems is launching a new line of infrared cameras for perimeter security that make maximum use of its highly integrated Lepton thermal cores. The Saros line is intended to provide minimum false alarms and the maximum in ease of installation for installers with no lens options to worry about.

Saros includes multiple FLIR Lepton® thermal sensors (160 x 120/12) with images stitched together, one or more 1080p or 4K cameras, IR and visible LED illuminators, advanced onboard analytics, two-way audio, and digital input/output.

Ulis Achieves Record Fast Response MicrobolometersPREMIUM

Ulis has developed an amorphous silicon (a-Si) microbolometer with a record low thermal time constant of 2.5 ms which allows imaging of fast events.

Pelco Suspends Sales of Thermal Security CamerasPREMIUM

Pelco, Schneider Electric, has discontinued sales of its thermal security cameras, the Sarix TI line, which were based on Ulis amorphous silicon (a-Si) microbolometers.

April 2018

Infrared Imaging Markets Continue Record GrowthPREMIUM

In 2017, world Commercial and Dual-Use Infrared Imaging markets continued the fourth straight year of record unit shipments. The number of uncooled detectors increased by over 30% to reach nearly 1.3 million units. However, severe price reductions have resulted in revenue growth of only 11% - for a total commercial and dual-use market (cooled and uncooled) of $3.8 billion.

L3 Restructures Uncooled Infrared BusinessPREMIUM

L3 Technologies is making changes to its uncooled amorphous silicon (a-SI) microbolometer business. The company’s L3 Sensor Technologies (formerly L3 Infrared Products in Garland, Texas) is moving its front-end production of FPAs to TSI Semiconductors (Roseville, California), while vacuum Wafer-Level-Packaging (WLP) is being moved to Mason, Ohio. By the end of the year, the Garland facility is expected to be shut down, with only design engineering remaining in the Dallas, Texas area.

Autoliv Spins Off Electronics and Automotive Thermal Night VisionPREMIUM

Autoliv (Stockholm, Sweden) is spinning off its Electronics business to the new company Veoneer, Inc.

Xenics Improves InGaAs FPAsPREMIUM

Xenics (Leuven, Belgium) has improved its InGaAs FPAs by significantly introducing the dark current of its detectors

March 2018

Start-Up Introducing SWIR Colloidal Quantum Dot (CQD) CamerasPREMIUM

Start-up, SWIR Vision Systems (Durham, North Carolina) is launching a line of large format SWIR cameras (“Acuros”) based on Colloidal Quantum Dot (CQD) FPAs that were developed at RTI International (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina). The solution-processed FPAs  are much less costly to produce than InGaAs FPAs which have to undergo semiconductor processing and hybridization to a readout IC.

February 2018

Seek Thermal Launching Low-cost Night Vision for the Automotive After-MarketPREMIUM

Seek Thermal (Goleta, California) is introducing an after-market night vision system for cars based on the company’s 320 x 240/12 VOx microbolometer.

December 2017

November 2017

DRS 10 Micron Microbolometer Reaching New Level of Readiness PREMIUM

Military Version to be Fully Qualified by 1Q18, Commercial Core to Follow

October 2017

September 2017

Attollo Engineering Developing InGaAs and T2SL FPAsPREMIUM

Redux for Founders of Aerius Photonics

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

Standardizing SWIR MeasurementsPREMIUM

A Proposed New Radiometric Unit

IR Sensors Start-Up Aims to Take on PIR Security MarketPREMIUM

Mosaic microbolometer pixel technology

May 2017

L3 Infrared Products Readies Release of 12 Micron MicrobolometersPREMIUM

Improves Performance of both 12 and 17 micron FPAs

Aselsan Developing Infrared Detector CapabilityPREMIUM

Uncooled fab already under construction

April 2017

3M Buying Scott SafetyPREMIUM

Another Re-alignment in Fire Fighting Thermal Imagers

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

New FAA Rule Opens the Door to Widespread Use of Infrared Aircraft Landing SystemsPREMIUM

Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) with both cooled and uncooled FPAs

December 2016

Elbit Consolidating EVS Businesses in U.S. and IsraelPREMIUM

Cooled and uncooled for commercial aircraft pilots

November 2016

October 2016

The Latest Progress in Ultra-Low-Cost HgTe Quantum Dots for Infrared ImagingPREMIUM

Good Initial Images in the MWIR – But Much Remains to Be Done

September 2016

August 2016

U.S. Export Control Reform of Infrared in the Home StretchPREMIUM

Category XII of the USML (ITAR sensors) and the Export Administration Regulations administered by the Commerce Department have been agreed to by an interagency process (including the Commerce Department (BIS), the Defense Department and the State Department). CAT XII final rules have been submitted by BIS and the State Department to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  

July 2016

June 2016

Gas Imaging Using Uncooled FPAsPREMIUM

Imaging of gas leaks (especially of methane, but also of other gases) has traditionally been done with portable infrared cameras based on cooled InSb and QWIP FPAs. In these, either the FPA spectral response is tuned to the absorption wavelength of the gas of interest or a spectral filter is used in front of it. Alternatively, high-end spectrally selective (Fourier Transform Infrared – FTIR) cameras (also based on cooled FPAs) are used to detect gas leaks with high sensitivity, but at a price premium.

 

Now, a new generation of innovative uncooled gas sensors are being developed to not just monitor large gas leaks but also act as monitors for small leaks.

Advances in T2SL FPAs in JapanPREMIUM

The effort in Japan to develop Type 2 Superlattice (T2SL) FPAs in Japan has taken a big step forward. Researchers at Sumitomo Electric, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Ritsumeikan University have fabricated a 320 x 256/30 InAs/GaSb FPA with a 6 µm cutoff and an NETD of  31mK.

IRnova Developing Megapixel T2SL FPAs for Medical ImagingPREMIUM

IRnova is developing megapixel T2SL (Type 2 Superlattice) FPAs to be used for imaging spectroscopy to detect various types of cancer. The aim is to develop both MWIR and LWIR FPAs with 1280 x 1024 format and 12 μm pixel pitch.

May 2016

St. Johns Optical Licenses Lead Selenide Detector FPA TechnologiesPREMIUM

Solution deposited and thermal vapor deposited.

Airbus Defense Electronics Business to be Acquired by KKRPREMIUM

A new home for Airbus DS Optronics

 

April 2016

Teledyne Dalsa Launching Uncooled Camera CorePREMIUM

Teledyne Dalsa (Waterloo, Canada) is releasing a new uncooled camera, Calibir, based on a Ulis 640 x 480 amorphous silicon microbolometer with 17 micron pixels.

5N Achieves Improved InSb Crystal GrowthPREMIUM

5N Plus Semiconductors (St. George, Utah) has developed an improved method of growing InSb boules that enables the efficient production of high quality InSb wafers and holds out the promise for higher yield InSb FPAs at lower cost.

March 2016

Commercial and Dual Use Infrared Imaging Market at the CrossroadsPREMIUM

Big Increases in Unit Volumes Have Not Translated to Revenue Growth

February 2016

FLIR Systems Breaks New Ground with Uncooled CoresPREMIUM

FLIR Systems is launching its Boson™ cores - 12 µm pitch, wafer-level-packaged (WLP) VOx microbolometer arrays with 320 x 256 and 640 x 512 formats - that provide new levels of performance in tiny packages.

FAA Guidance on Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) is Another Step toward Combined EVS/SVS PREMIUM

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Airworthiness Circular with guidance for obtaining airworthiness approval for installation of a Synthetic Vision System (SVS) – which the FAA calls a “Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS)” - in aircraft.

SPIE’s IR Technology and Applications Conference – A Preview PREMIUM

Three SPIE infrared technology and application conferences – all part of SPIE’s DCS16 Defense & Security symposium – will feature the latest developments in IR technology and sensor systems. Two sessions of the “Infrared Technology and Applications XLII” conference have been separated from that conference. They have been expanded into two new conferences – “Advanced Optics for Defense Applications: UV through LWIR” and “Tri-Technology Device Refrigeration (TTDR)”. The reasons for this separation are the important new developments taking place in the fields of optics and cryocoolers.

January 2016

Seek Thermal Rolling Out Mid-Format Uncooled CorePREMIUM

Seek Thermal (Goleta, California) is ready to go into production with a new uncooled core based on Wafer-Level-Packaged (WLP) 320 x 240 VOx microbolometers with 12 micron pixels, a significant upgrade over the company’s existing 206 x 156/12 microbolometers.

UTC Hits Home Run with N2 AcquisitionPREMIUM

UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) has acquired N2 Imaging Systems (Irvine, California). N2, which will stay at its current location, will be part of the UTAS intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) business, which includes Sensors Unlimited and Cloud Cap Technology (Hood River, Oregon).

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, DRS’s stake in N2 was also acquired, thus making UTAS the sole owner.

 

Gas Imaging Patent Decision Goes to AppealPREMIUM

The U.S. Patent Office has ruled in favor of FLIR Systems in a patent infringement suit in which Leak Surveys (Early, Texas) claimed that FLIR’s gas finder (GasFindIR) cameras infringed on their patents.

However, Leak Surveys is now appealing that decision in Federal Appeals Court.

 

December 2015

i3system Prepares to Launch Smartphone thermal Imager in U.S.PREMIUM

i3system (Daejon, South Korea) is preparing to launch its Thermal Expert™ smartphone thermal imager in the U.S. The company’s thermal imaging attachment makes use of i3systems’ own 384 x 288 uncooled microbolometer with 17 micron pixels and works with Android Smartphones.

November 2015

More Consolidation in Fire Fighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

Avon Rubber plc (UK) has acquired the “Argus” thermal imaging fire fighting business of E2V Technologies (Chelmsford, Essex, UK) for £3.5 million in cash ($5.4 million).

The company’s Avon Protection unit, which also makes SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), has had a small presence in the fire thermal imaging market with its nvision XTP, a thermal imager based on a 320 x 240 amorphous silicon microbolometer made by L-3 Infrared Products.

Seek Thermal OEM Products Ready to Take OffPREMIUM

 

Seek Thermal – in addition to its smartphone attachments – has been aggressively courting OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to incorporate its 206 x 156/12 VOx microbolometer cores in their cameras for applications for predictive maintenance/building inspection, drones payloads, security cameras, automotive night vision, etc.

 

October 2015

Infrared in ChinaPREMIUM

While the world is agonizing over weakness in the Chinese economy, infrared technology and the infrared industry in China are booming. They are driven not so much by commercial export markets but mostly by domestic government procurement programs and private investment spending.

Helping to accelerate this was a large government program during the past year.

At the recent CIOE China International Optoelectronic Expo in Shenzhen companies showed off the latest developments in cooled and uncooled detectors and systems.

 

Uncooled Infrared Detectors in ChinaPREMIUM

The presence of uncooled infrared technology in China started more than 13 years ago when Ulis began to supply uncooled amorphous silicon (a-Si) microbolometers to companies such as SATIR, Guide Infrared and Dali.

Since then, FLIR Systems has also supplied VOx uncooled modules, but with strict export restrictions on array size and frame rate.

The success of uncooled detector technology developed in the west caused Chinese companies to undertake major development programs to initiate a domestic supply of both a-Si and VOx microbolometers.

The current status of these developments is summarized here.

September 2015

DIR Technologies Introducing New Thermal Imaging System for On-line Package InspectionsPREMIUM

DIR Technologies (Haifa, Israel) is introducing a new thermal imaging system for 100% on-line inspection of induction-sealed bottles used in Food, Cosmetics and other industries.

The I2VS (Induction Integrity Verification System) Lite verifies the aluminum foil seal at the top of bottles, such as those containing vitamins and packaged food.

The system is a follow on to the company’s standard I2VS system which is used in the pharmaceutical industry.

The company makes use of both cooled and uncooled FPAs to view the integrity of the seal at rates up to 400 bottles per minute (which is as fast as the induction sealing machines are capable of heat sealing prior to inspection.)

August 2015

A New Supplier of InGaAs Detectors EmergesPREMIUM

Startup Princeton Infrared Technologies, PIRT (Monmouth Junction, New Jersey) has emerged from its stealth mode to offer InGaAs FPAs for high-volume markets. The company’s founder and President is Martin Ettenberg, a veteran of SWIR detectors who spent 14 years at Sensors Unlimited (now part of UTC) developing and marketing InGaAs FPAs. 

The company’s first product is a 1280 x 1024 InGaAs FPA with 12 micron pixels that can operate at 100 Hz (or at 390 Hz in a 640 x 512 window). A science camera based on this FPA is expected to be released in the Fall.

Price Competition Heats up In Fire Fighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

E2V (Chelmsford, UK) is launching new fire fighting thermal imagers in an effort to counter recently introduced new lower-priced cameras made by FLIR Systems.

The British company, which pioneered fire fighting thermal imagers more than 30 years ago, is rolling out two new Argus-brand thermal imagers with added features and lower prices.

July 2015

June 2015

May 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

October 2014

Seek Thermal Introducing Breakthrough Infrared Imaging TechnologyPREMIUM

Low-cost Smartphone thermal imager and Cores for OEMs

September 2014

August 2014

July 2014

Agilent Partners with Nippon AvionicsPREMIUM

Introduces Thermography Camera

June 2014

BAE Systems Introduces Small-Pixel VOx Microbolometer CorePREMIUM

Seeks Re-entry Into Commercial Market

April 2014

Sweeping the FieldPREMIUM

FLIR One Smartphone Imager Discourages One Competitor

SWIR in DentistryPREMIUM

 

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

FLIR Launches Double WhammyPREMIUM

Ultra Low-Cost Thermal Core and Smartphone Attachment

December 2013

November 2013

October 2013

FLIR and Fluke Launch New Thermography CamerasPREMIUM

Jockeying for Space at the Low-End

 

September 2013

Securing the U.S. Southern BorderPREMIUM

Border Patrol Awards a New Surveillance Contract to General Dynamics

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

SiOnyx Launches NIR/SWIR Black Silicon FPAsPREMIUM

Improved Low Light Level Imaging for Night Vision

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

July 2012

June 2012

May 2012

Turkish Start-Ups Enter Uncooled FPA and ROIC MarketsPREMIUM

Two start-ups in Turkey are vying for a portion of the infrared market

Novel SWIR ImagersPREMIUM

 

DRS ReorganizesPREMIUM

 

April 2012

March 2012

The Latest in the Thermography WarsPREMIUM

FLIR vs. Fluke

February 2012

January 2012

Spectrolab Moves InGaAs APDs into ProductionPREMIUM

An Enabling Technology for 3D Imaging

December 2011

November 2011

October 2011

United Technologies Acquiring GoodrichPREMIUM

A New Player in Infrared

September 2011

August 2011

July 2011

ISG UK is AcquiredPREMIUM

 

June 2011

May 2011

Terahertz Imaging Using Uncooled MicrobolometersPREMIUM

NEC Improves Both Passive and Active Mode Cameras

April 2011

March 2011

EVS Takes One Step Closer to More Widespread UsePREMIUM

Honeywell’s Demonstration of Blended Infrared and Synthetic Vision on Primary Flight Displays

February 2011

January 2011

A New Uncooled MicrobolometerPREMIUM

Megapixels for Starters

Teledyne Buying DALSAPREMIUM

Synergies in Infrared

December 2010

Sirica Hits RoadblockPREMIUM

Another Novel Uncooled Technology in Trouble

EVS Certified on Boeing Business JetPREMIUM

The First Step to Wider Infrared Use in Commercial Aviation?

November 2010

October 2010

Automotive Night Vision Takes Another Leap ForwardPREMIUM

Autoliv Tests its New Thermal and Near-Infrared Fusion System

Mikron Moves its OperationsPREMIUM

LumaSense Consolidates

September 2010

FLIR Systems Acquiring ICx TechnologiesPREMIUM

Integrating a Diversified Portfolio of Technologies

August 2010

Interest in Infrared Increases in JapanPREMIUM

New Support for Small Pixel Uncooled Microbolometers

Jostling for Space at the Low EndPREMIUM

Infrared Cameras for Building Inspection

July 2010

BAE Systems to Reorganize in U.S.PREMIUM

The Effect on Infrared Operations

June 2010

April 2010

A New German Capability in UncooledPREMIUM

Fraunhofer Institute Makes Large Format Uncooled Microbolometer

March 2010

February 2010

The Effect of Eased U.S. Export Controls on Uncooled Infrared CamerasPREMIUM

U.S. Also Proposing Easier Export Controls for Thermal Imagers in Two Application Areas

January 2010

December 2009

Progress in Type II Superlattice FPAsPREMIUM

Large Area Substrates Provide a Path to Practical Devices

November 2009

October 2009

Infrared in JapanPREMIUM

The Latest Developments

September 2009

August 2009

Lockheed Martin Buying GyrocamPREMIUM

A Deal That Makes Sense

EADS Wins Large Saudi Border ContractPREMIUM

Selects FLIR Systems to Provide Infrared Systems – with potential for much more

July 2009

General Dynamics Buying AxsysPREMIUM

How Will the Acquisition Affect the Commercial and Military Infrared Markets?

June 2009

U.S. Export Controls on Uncooled Infrared Cameras Eased DrasticallyPREMIUM

Leveling the Playing Field for U.S. Manufacturers

Moving Microbolometer Vacuum Packaging into Mass ProductionPREMIUM

Ritsumeikan University Has a Solution

May 2009

April 2009

Axsys Technologies Puts Itself up for SalePREMIUM

Some of the Potential Buyers

IRISYS Moves its Pyroelectric FPA to a Larger FormatPREMIUM

Introduces New Low-End Thermography Camera

March 2009

Standards Agency Tests Fire Fighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

Measures Performance Against New NFPA Draft Standard and Comes Up with a Few Surprises

February 2009

RedShift Systems Pulls Rabbit Out of the HatPREMIUM

Secures On-going Financing

 

January 2009

Selex Galileo Makes New Advances with its MOVPE ProcessPREMIUM

Obtaining High Yield with Mercury Cadmium Telluride

December 2008

RedShift UpdatePREMIUM

A Setback for a Novel Uncooled Sensor

BAE Systems PbSe DevelopmentPREMIUM

Company Pursues Military, Commercial Markets

Auto Night Vision in EuropePREMIUM

A More Ambitious FPA Development

November 2008

Aircraft EVSPREMIUM

Market Separates into High and Low Ends

Axsys Expands OperationsPREMIUM

Increases Product Offerings

Sofradir Buys ElectrophysicsPREMIUM

The Strategy Behind the Move

October 2008

RedShift Teams with OEMsPREMIUM

Plans Production Rollout in 2009

September 2008

American HealthChoice Launches OmniBody ScanPREMIUM

The Latest Attempt at Infrared Diagnostic Breast Imaging

August 2008

Uncooled FPAs in FrancePREMIUM

Uncooled microbolometer development in France has been very rapid partly because of the cooperation between the CEA/Leti labs and Ulis

July 2008

L-3 Infrared Products DownsizesPREMIUM

L-3 Infrared Products laid off 10% of its 180 employees in June in an effort to stem the flow of red ink.

Former Indigo Execs Prevail Over FLIR Systems in LawsuitPREMIUM

FLIR Systems has lost a lawsuit against two former Indigo Systems executives whom it claimed were misappropriating trade secrets and against whom FLIR was seeking a permanent injunction to prevent them from starting a new venture to produce uncooled microbolometers.

June 2008

Auto Night Vision in EuropePREMIUM

A new program called FNIR is being started in Europe to develop a low-cost automotive night vision system based on fused images from an uncooled LWIR imager and a near-infrared (NIR) imager.

DX Rating for Uncooled FPAs Causes Commercial ShortagePREMIUM

The high priority for MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles and their infrared sensors, has led the U.S. Department of Defense to place a DX rating on components, such as uncooled microbolometers that are used in the Driver’s Vision Enhancers (DVE) on these vehicles.

FLIR Systems Pushes Prices Below $3KPREMIUM

Competition in low-end thermography cameras is heating up. FLIR Systems’ latest introduction, the i5 camera, pushes prices below $3K—a level unheard of just a few years ago.

Automotive Night Vision Aftermarket Price ReductionPREMIUM

Although infrared automotive night vision systems are usually supplied as a factory-installed option, an aftermarket is developing…

Finmeccanica to Acquire DRSPREMIUM

Finmeccanica S.p.A. (Italy) has agreed to acquire DRS Technologies for $5.2 billion in cash.

May 2008

Agiltron Acquires MIIPREMIUM

Agiltron, Inc. has acquired Multispectral Imaging, MII, the developer of uncooled microcantilever FPAs with a capacitive readout.

Bell Labs Uncooled FPA Development Looks for a HomePREMIUM

Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs has stopped all work to develop an uncooled focal plane array. In October 2007, the company’s partner, Isonics Corp., ceased funding the program and all rights to the technology reverted to Alcatel-Lucent.

GE Takes Minority Stake in UlisPREMIUM

General Electric’s GE Commercial Finance is taking a 15% minority stake in Ulis, the supplier of uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometers.

Toyota Introducing NIR Active Night Vision with Pedestrian DetectionPREMIUM

Toyota is introducing a near-infrared (NIR) active night vision system called Night View on the Crown Hybrid

April 2008

Uncooled BST Being Phased OutPREMIUM

L-3 Infrared Products is phasing out the production of uncooled BST ferroelectric FPAs and cameras. The company expects to stop producing BST detectors in mid-2009 but will support these products for another three years.

L-3 Buying Northrop Grumman’s Electro-Optical Systems BusinessPREMIUM

L-3 Communications has signed an agreement to acquire Northrop Grumman's Electro-Optical Systems (EOS) business for $175 million in cash. The EOS business had 2007 revenues of approximately $190 million in night vision goggles, weapons sights, driver viewers, image intensifier tubes and applied optics products.

March 2008

Infrared Markets SoarPREMIUM

World commercial and dual-use infrared imaging markets soared by 30% in 2007.

Goodrich Forms New ISR Business UnitPREMIUM

Goodrich Corp. has formed a new ISR Systems (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) business unit out of the former Optical & Space Systems (OSS) division. The new unit has its headquarters in Chelmsford, Mass., and includes operations in Danbury, Conn., Albuquerque, N.M., Princeton, N.J., Ithaca, N.Y., and Malvern (UK).

Medical Infrared StrugglesPREMIUM

The application of thermal imaging to medicine has long been heralded as one of the most promising application areas. One of the most hotly pursued areas has been screening for breast cancer.

February 2008

New Fluke Cameras Push Pricing Below $5KPREMIUM

Fluke is introducing four new handheld cameras which are pushing the pricing of thermography cameras below $5000. Two of the new cameras, Ti10 and Ti25, are intended for industrial and electrical inspections; the other two TiR and TiR1, are intended for building inspection.

SPIE’s Infrared Technology and Applications ConferencePREMIUM

SPIE’s Infrared Technology and Applications XXXIV Conference – a part of SPIE’s Defense & Security Symposium - will feature the latest developments in IR technology and sensor systems. The four day conference, with concurrently running sessions on Monday and Tuesday, will be held from March 17 to 20 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

IRnova Moves up the Food Chain to QWIP DDCA ModulesPREMIUM

IRnova is moving up the infrared food chain and is now offering its customers full Detector Dewar Cooler Assemblies (DDCAs) instead of just QWIP focal plane arrays. The DDCAs are provided together with partners that specialize in detector and cooler manufacturing.

FLIR/Cedip Acquisition ClosesPREMIUM

FLIR Systems has completed the acquisition of 69.3% of the shares (at 19 euros per share or a total of 42.3 million euros) of Cedip Infrared Systems after obtaining approval from the French Ministry of Finance and Economy. FLIR Systems Holdings SAS, the company’s French subsidiary will now proceed to acquire the remaining shares of Cedip for the same 19 euro price.

January 2008

New Gen EVS Ready for 2008PREMIUM

A new generation of Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) for aircraft is close to being certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Kollsman’s EVS II, an enhanced version of its original EVS, makes use of SCD’s 320 x240 InSb FPA on a Blue Fairy read-out and provides 30% increase in sensitivity.

NEC/Nippon Avionics Reorganize Infrared BusinessesPREMIUM

Nippon Avionics plans to reorganize and consolidate its infrared businesses, including NEC San-ei Instruments, into the new company, NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co., Ltd.

Isonics-Bell Labs Uncooled Development SuspendedPREMIUM

The effort by Isonics Corp. to develop an uncooled focal plane array by partnering with Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs has hit a funding road block after Isonics and its subsidiary SensIT failed to make a recent installment payment on the $12 million development program.

Axsys Sells Distributed Products BusinessPREMIUM

Axsys Technologies has sold its Distributed Products business for $15 million. The divestiture of this business (which supplies bearings) allows Axsys to concentrate on its infrared and optics businesses which it is reorganizing into the following segments:

Teledyne to Acquire JudsonPREMIUM

Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC has entered into an agreement to acquire Judson Technologies, LLC.

December 2007

Autoliv Plans New Night Vision Product LaunchPREMIUM

Autoliv is preparing to introduce its new Night Vision 2 system to aid drivers of passenger cars when driving at night. The new system will offer significant new capabilities while simultaneously lowering the cost to automakers.

ICx Launches IPOPREMIUM

ICx Technologies launched an Initial Public Offering of 5 million shares of its common stock at a price of $16.00 per share on the NASDAQ market. However, the company was caught in the volatility of the markets and shares dropped to under $8 before recovering to over $9 on November 27.

November 2007

A-Si Matches VOxPREMIUM

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) uncooled microbolometers made by ULIS are increasingly reaching performance levels previously attained only by VOx microbolometers.

Halfway Between an FPA and a Spot SensorPREMIUM

Researchers at Ritsumeikan University have developed a very low-cost thermal array that is more than a spot thermal sensor, but not quite a staring focal plane array. The device, dubbed Infrared Position Sensitive Detector (IRPSD), is an array of uncooled thermopiles, which is not intended to form an image, but provide position information on the object being viewed.

October 2007

FLIR Buying CedipPREMIUM

FLIR Systems has entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Cedip Infrared Systems in a deal that values the French company at 62.7 million euros (approximately $86.4 million).

New Uncooled EVS SystemsPREMIUM

Max-Viz is introducing upgraded versions of its uncooled Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) for aircraft pilots. The company is now making use of 25 µm pixel microbolometers in all of its new products.

September 2007

Multispectral Imaging Improves Performance of Microcantilever ArraysPREMIUM

Multispectral Imaging, Inc., MII is making significant progress in the performance of its uncooled bi-material microcantilever arrays.

August 2007

Obzerv Range-Gated Camera Combined with RadarPREMIUM

Obzerv Technologies’ range gated camera has been integrated with radar in order to provide maritime security for a critical application in Asia. The integrated system allows long range detection of threats by the radar which then cues the Obzerv ARGC-2400 range-gated camera, which makes use of a Diode Laser Illumination System (DALIS™) operating at 808 or 860 nm.

Fluke Acquires IrconPREMIUM

Fluke has acquired Ircon from Spectris plc for $33 million on a debt and cash-free basis and subject to a working capital adjustment. Ircon specializes in spot infrared sensors including on-line IR thermometers, portable spot thermometers and line scanners.

Low-End EVS Market Starts to Take OffPREMIUM

Amateur-built aircraft in the U.S. are giving a lift to a new class of low-end Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) for use by the pilots of these planes when flying at night or in reduced visibility. This growth is being driven by the fact that under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regulations, no certification is required to use an EVS on amateur-built “experimental” aircraft.

July 2007

New Border Sensors Fired UpPREMIUM

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SBInet sensor network on the Mexican border went into operation along a 28 mile stretch southwest of Tucson. The first section of the “virtual fence” consists of nine 98 foot towers with visible and infrared cameras that send images to a command center and to specially equipped Border Patrol vehicles.

FLIR Systems Introduces New Marine Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

FLIR Commercial Vision Systems is introducing the latest in its line of thermal imaging systems for marine use. The company’s Navigator™ is now available in three configurations: fixed, 360º pan, or full pan/tilt.

June 2007

The Status of Novel Uncooled SensorsPREMIUM

Uncooled infrared focal plane arrays based on vanadium oxide and amorphous silicon microbolometers are now well established. But new technologies are around the corner.

NoblePeak Develops New Monolithic Visible to SWIR FPAPREMIUM

NoblePeak Vision Corp. - a venture funded start-up - has developed a new high performance FPA with response from the visible (0.4 µm) to SWIR (1.65 µm) wavelength region.

DRS Splits-Out Former Nytech UnitPREMIUM

DRS Technologies has split-out its former Nytech unit which was acquired in 2002. The new company, called N2 Imaging Systems, will continue to operate out of its original Irvine, California offices.

May 2007

Judson Enters FPA MarketPREMIUM

Judson Technologies LLC, which has traditionally focused on single-element and linear array infrared detectors, is entering the infrared FPA and camera market.

April 2007

L-3 IR Products’ New Strategy on Auto Night VisionPREMIUM

L-3 Infrared Products is taking aim at the military driver’s vision enhancement (DVE) market with a new system intended to be used on tactical wheeled vehicles. The Diver’s Vision System (DVS) makes use of the company’s uncooled BST FPAs which are also used in its commercial automotive night vision system.

LumaSense Buying MikronPREMIUM

Mikron Infrared is being acquired by LumaSense Technologies, Inc. for approximately $65 million.

Ann Arbor Sensor Develops New Ultra Low-Cost ThermopilePREMIUM

Ann Arbor Sensor Systems has developed a new ultra low-cost uncooled thermopile array.

Sofradir Awarded Contract for Space SensorsPREMIUM

Sofradir has been awarded a EUR 3.2 million (USD 4.2 million) contract by NEC Toshiba Space for an infrared detector to be used on the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) satellite of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

March 2007

Acreo Spins Off QWIP BusinessPREMIUM

Acreo AB is spinning off its QWIP (Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector) business to a new company called IRnova AB.

SPIE’s Infrared Technologies and Applications ConferencePREMIUM

SPIE’s Infrared Technology and Applications XXXIII Conference – a part of SPIE’s DSS - Defense & Security Symposium - will feature the latest developments in IR technology and sensor systems. The five day conference will be held from April 9 to April 13 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Esterline Corp. to Buy CMC ElectronicsPREMIUM

Esterline Corp. has agreed to buy CMC Electronics for $335 million. CMC Electronics (formerly Canadian Marconi Canada) is a leading supplier of avionics systems including both cooled and uncooled infrared Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) for pilots.

February 2007

World Infrared MarketsPREMIUM

The combined world commercial and dual-use infrared imaging and spot infrared thermometry market grew at a blistering nearly 20% pace in 2006.

Israel Adopting New Export Control ActPREMIUM

Israel is changing its export control policies and will adhere to the Wassenaar Arrangement’s Control Lists for both Munitions items and for Dual-Use items. According to the Wassenaar agreements, dual-use products go through a licensing procedure that is usually administered by a commerce department or ministry.

Boeing Business Jets to Feature New Uncooled EVSPREMIUM

Rockwell Collins is introducing a new infrared Enhanced Vision System (EVS) - based on a Max-Viz uncooled EVS - for use on Boeing Business Jets. The EVS presents an image on Rockwell Collins’ Head-up Guidance System (HGS®) and head-down displays to enhance pilot situational awareness of terrain and the airport environment in low-visibility situations.

Export Control Hurdles for 2007PREMIUM

Several recent provisions in the Wassenaar List of Dual-Use infrared equipment must be renewed or they will expire at the end of this year. The most important of these refer to the control of uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometers.

January 2007

BMW Gives OK to Next Gen Auto Night VisionPREMIUM

After a thorough evaluation of both passive thermal and active near infrared (NIR) automotive night vision systems, German luxury car maker BMW has decided to stay with thermal imaging (called “FIR” or “Far Infrared” in the automotive industry).

SCD Ramping Up Production of Uncooled VOx MicrobolometersPREMIUM

SCD Semi Conductor Devices is ramping up production of its “BIRD” 384 x 288 (25 µm) microbolometers after encountering process issues at the beginning of 2006.

Power Plants a Good Market for Thermal Rifle SightsPREMIUM

Requirements by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for increased security at power plants has provided EMX a ready market for thermal rifle sights.

Cantronic Acquisition of QWIP SystemsPREMIUM

The acquisition by Cantronic Systems, Inc. of QWIP Systems (the Canadian parent of QWIPTECH in the U.S.) has been completed. Both companies are publicly traded in Canada.

December 2006

Longwave Superlattice FPAPREMIUM

Type II Superlattice (T2SL) FPAs have made great progress over the last three years. Some are even heralding these detectors as the successor to mercury cadmium telluride.

Isonics Spins Off Uncooled BusinessPREMIUM

Isonics Corp., which is partnering with Lucent Technologies Bell Labs in the development of an uncooled focal plane array based on a capacitive MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) technology, has spun off the technology to a company called SensIT.

Sofradir Building New Fab to Increase ProductionPREMIUM

Sofradir is starting construction on a new Fab near Grenoble that will double its production capacity of cooled infrared focal plane arrays and position the company to supply 3rd Gen FPAs. The new facility will produce mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) FPAs by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) on 4” germanium substrates (compared to the currently used 2” CZT substrates).

Image Fusion 2007PREMIUM

The Image Fusion 2007 conference to be held between January 22 and 24 in Alexandria, Virginia is expected to cover a wide range of topics that are increasingly important for a wide number of applications.

November 2006

FLIR Systems Scaling UpPREMIUM

FLIR Systems has reached an agreement with AMI Semiconductor in which AMIS will be the foundry for the production of FLIR’s uncooled VOx microbolometers. The microbolometers will be produced in AMIS’ Class 1 facility on 8” wafers.

CMC Electronics Ships 100th EVSPREMIUM

CMC Electronics has shipped its 100th EVS (Enhanced Vision System) for aircraft. Most of these are the SureSight® I-Series.

DelphiPREMIUM

Delphi is proposing an automotive active night vision system with pedestrian warning that also uses the same camera to carry out several additional vision tasks, including lane departure warning and intelligent headlight control.

October 2006

Kollsman Readying Uncooled EVSPREMIUM

Kollsman is preparing to roll out its uncooled enhanced vision system for general aviation aircraft, GAViS™ (General Aviation Vision System).

Siemens to Acquire VistaScapePREMIUM

Siemens Building Technologies has signed an agreement to acquire VistaScape Security Systems as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Boeing Wins Secure Borders InitiativePREMIUM

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded the first phase of the Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) contract to a team led by Boeing. The program is intended to help secure both America’s southern and northern borders with a network of sensors.

Firefighter Grant Awards Start in OctoberPREMIUM

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) awards are expected to start being issued in October. The late start in making the awards under the $540 million FY2006 AFG program has resulted in some hesitation on the part of local fire departments to purchase thermal imagers while they waited for the outcome of the grant awards.

September 2006

Turmoil in Auto Night VisionPREMIUM

An attempt to gain economies of scale in the automotive night vision market has fallen through. Negotiations on the potential acquisition by Autoliv of the L-3 Infrared Products automotive night vision business have been discontinued. The move would have combined the two leading suppliers of passive LWIR automotive night vision systems.

Auto Night Vision in EuropePREMIUM

A proposed European Union regulation to enhance pedestrian safety may help to significantly expand the use of automotive infrared night vision systems. The proposed regulation will require a specific active safety system called Brake Assist on all new vehicles starting on July 1, 2008. In addition, new types of equipment, such as collision avoidance, will be recognized as alternatives to Brake Assist.

Max-Viz Wins Certification on Bell 206/407PREMIUM

Max-Viz has obtained an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its EVS-1000 Enhanced Vision System on Bell 206/407 helicopters. The EVS-1000 makes use of a 320 x 240 VOx microbolometer in order to give pilots situational awareness in fog, haze and other reduced visibility conditions.

August 2006

Land Instruments Acquired by AmetekPREMIUM

Land Instruments International Ltd. has been acquired by Ametek, Inc., a diversified manufacturer of industrial instruments and electromechanical devices. Land, with annual sales of £22 million ($41 million) will be part of the process analytical business of Ametek’s Electronic Instruments Group.

Cantronic to Buy QWIP SystemsPREMIUM

Cantronic Systems, Inc. has agreed to merge with QWIP Systems (the Canadian company which is the parent of QWIPTECH in the U.S.) Both companies are publicly traded in Canada.

Teledyne to Acquire Rockwell ScientificPREMIUM

Teledyne Technologies, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Rockwell Scientific Co., RSC, Los Angeles, California) for $167.5 million in cash from Rockwell Collins and Rockwell Automation.

FLIR Systems Robot Churning out InfraCAMsPREMIUM

FLIR Systems’ new robot is now up and running at the company’s Danderyd, Sweden facility. The robot is intended to automate the labor intensive and time-consuming testing and calibration of FLIR’s new line of low-cost InfraCAM cameras.

July 2006

CEDIP Launches IPOPREMIUM

CEDIP Infrared has launched an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Alternext market of the Euronext Exchange. The company’s existing 2,500,000 shares of stock have been admitted on Alternext. In addition, a maximum of 712,500 new shares have been issued and admitted to the exchange.

June 2006

Siemens Invests in ThermosensorikPREMIUM

Siemens AG has acquired a minority stake in thermal imaging company Thermosensorik GmbH. The investment was made through Siemens Venture Capital and Siemens Technology Accelerator.

Uncooled ThermopilesPREMIUM

A recent press release by the Malaysian company MEMS Technology Bhd has caused a flurry of activity recently in the world of infrared. The company had claimed that it had signed a multi-year contract with Bullard for infrared FPAs to be used in a firefighting camera to be introduced in September.

RedShift Systems Optimizing ProcessPREMIUM

RedShift Systems is readying its uncooled Thermal Light Valve™ (TLV) camera cores for additional demonstrations to customers.

May 2006

Ferroelectrics Come Back to LifePREMIUM

L-3 Infrared Products is finally on the road to rolling out its uncooled thin-film ferroelectric (TFFE) focal plane arrays. The company has exerted a concentrated effort during the last year to make its process more robust and expects to show samples to customers during the third quarter of this year.

FLIR Reorganizes Imaging BusinessPREMIUM

FLIR Systems has re-organized its Imaging business into two separate Divisions: a commercial imaging division and a government imaging division. The company also plans to invest $15 million to significantly increase the capacity of its uncooled VOx microbolometer production facility in Santa Barbara.

Raytheon Launches New Security System for Airports and Other InfrastructurePREMIUM

Raytheon’s Airspace Management and Homeland Security business is launching an Integrated Airport Security System (IASS) that makes it easier for airports to ensure the safety of passengers from their arrival at the airport to departure in the aircraft. .

April 2006

Nippon Avionics Acquiring NEC San-ei InstrumentsPREMIUM

Nippon Avionics is acquiring NEC San-ei Instruments. After the completion of the transaction on June 30, 2006, NEC San-ei will be a 100% subsidiary of Nippon Avionics.

Ann Arbor Sensor SystemsPREMIUM

Ann Arbor Sensor Systems has used an old technology to make very low cost uncooled cameras (less than $5K). The company’s AXT100 Thermal Imaging Camera makes use of 32 x 31 thermopile arrays that the company designed and are manufactured for it by MEMSTech.

Standards for Infrared in FirefightingPREMIUM

The use of infrared cameras by firefighters has been growing at double digit rates. In fact, the rate at which new technologies are being incorporated into these cameras may affect firefighter safety.

Mitsubishi Develops Chip-Scale Vacuum Package for Uncooled SOI SensorPREMIUM

Mitsubishi Electric has developed a chip-scale vacuum package for its 160 x 120 (25 µm pixels) uncooled SOI FPAs.

SCD Improves VOx MicrobolometersPREMIUM

SCD Semi Conductor Devices has improved its “BIRD” 384 x 288 VOx (25 µm pitch) microbolometers.

SBInet Holds Out Hope for Infrared Strategic Border InitiativePREMIUM

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Strategic Border Initiative program (SBInet) is shaping up to be a boon for infrared technology. SBInet has two major themes: controlling the border and immigration enforcement.

Avio Develops IR Helmet Goggle for FirefightersPREMIUM

Nippon Avionics has developed an integral helmet-mounted uncooled infrared imager for firefighters.

March 2006

New Infrared Cameras Push the Boundaries at the Low EndPREMIUM

The introduction of infrared cameras at aggressive low price points are pushing infrared imaging into new markets and applications. Three manufacturers have recently introduced such cameras, two of them after extensive test marketing during 2005.

NEC Enters VOx Merchant Market with Mid and Large Format FPAsPREMIUM

NEC is entering the merchant market with two VOx microbolometers having 320 x 240 and 640 x 480 formats. The two microbolometers have the smallest pixel sizes (23.5 µm) currently available for either the commercial or military markets.

World Infrared MarketsPREMIUM

The combined world commercial and dual-use infrared imaging and spot infrared thermometry market is growing rapidly. Uncooled infrared focal plane array technology used in a broad range of applications continues to be the major driving factor.

Opgal Partnering with WinSoft to Penetrate the U.S. MarketPREMIUM

Opgal is partnering with WinSoft on infrared systems. Opgal cameras will be available with the WinSoft ThermaVu software development kit for image analysis, camera control and thermal analysis.

SPIE’s Infrared Technology and Applications ConferencePREMIUM

SPIE’s Infrared Technology and Applications XXXII Conference – a part of SPIE’s DSS - Defense & Security Symposium - will feature the latest developments in IR technology and sensor systems. The five day conference will be held from April 17 to April 21 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida.

February 2006

RedShift Gets VC FundingPREMIUM

RedShift Systems has landed $12 million in first round venture capital financing. The round was led by InterWest Partners and also included strong participation from existing shareholders who sponsored the 2005 spin-off of RedShift from Aegis Semiconductor, Inc.

CardioOptics Receives $26.5 Million InvestmentPREMIUM

A New Market for SWIR Cameras

January 2006

A New Honeywell LicensePREMIUM

Honeywell is continuing its bid to license a broad swath of uncooled microbolometer technologies. In the latest agreement, L-3 Communications has reached a license agreement for the amorphous silicon microbolometers being made by its L-3 Infrared Products unit (formerly Raytheon Commercial Infrared).

ULIS Large FPA Goes into ProductionPREMIUM

ULIS has moved it’s large format (640 x 480 with 25 µm pixels) amorphous silicon uncooled microbolometers into production. The chip is based on a single-level microbridge, thus avoiding the complexity and expense of dual-level designs.

Bell Labs and Isonics PartnerPREMIUM

Lucent Technologies Bell Labs and Isonics Corp. are partnering to develop a “next-generation” infrared imaging and night surveillance technology. The intent is to develop a high-performance, low-cost uncooled focal plane array based on MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) technology.

IRCAM Introduces New ProductPREMIUM

IRCAM GmbH, the new company founded in May 2005, by former managers of Thermosensorik GmbH has introduced a new dual-band QWIP camera. The GEMINIS 110k ML makes use of a dual-band 384 x 288 QWIP FPA made by AIM Infrarot-Module.

First Infrared Special Comprehensive LicensePREMIUM

The first “Special Comprehensive License” (SCL) for exporting thermal imaging cameras has been granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The four-year license is for shipments of predictive maintenance cameras based on 160 x 120 pixel uncooled microbolometers to European Union countries.

Extreme CCTV and Obzerv Cancel Second InvestmentPREMIUM

Extreme CCTV has declined to make a second investment of $3 million in Obzerv Technologies Ltd. However, the two companies continue to work together to develop a new high-end security camera, LX300, based on Obzerv’s range-gated laser camera.