February 2, 2006
Israeli researchers combine IR camera, cell phone
The EETimes reports on a joint study out of Israel that has demonstrated that it is technically feasible to integrate an infrared digital camera into a cell phone.
"... Stationary infrared cameras are used today to locate missing people, making medical diagnoses and performing quality control checks in industry. They were widely used during the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to measure the body temperature of passengers at airports.
... "With this device built into your cell phone, you could take your temperature or check whether there is someone prowling in the dark, just by using your cell phone," Dr. Nizan Yaniv of the Holon Academic Institute of Technology said.
Yaniv said he believes the first users could be rescue forces such as police, firefighters and medics. The Israeli researcher is negotiating with two large international firms to try to bring the development to market. "
In the meantime, you can look for my favorite cameraphone gadget, the £100 add-on that turns camera phones into X-ray specs which can see through clothes. Made by Japanese company Yamada Denshi , it can be bought on the internet and fitted to high-end phones.
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