FLIR PathFindIR II PD/AD - Driver Vision Vehicle Thermal Imager

• Simple installation
• Automatically detects people and animals
• Add thermal night vision to your vehicle
• Increase safety when driving in rural/foggy areas

The FLIR PathfindIR II PD/AD is a powerful driver vision thermal camera that gives drivers increased visibility in any conditions - no matter the weather, lighting, or environmental conditions, this camera can see through it all and give drivers clear pictures of what's ahead in the road. With the addition of the PD/AD feature on this model, the PathfindIR II automatically detects pedestrians and animals in the road and highlights each with a bright yellow box outline. This makes it even easier and faster to recognize people and animals down the road which could be in harm's way. The addition of this feature gives drivers even more time to react to what's ahead, potentially saving lives and property.
 

Rugged Reliability for the Road

The FLIR PathfindIR II PD/AD is designed to be mounted externally on the front of a car or truck. To stand up to road debris and weather conditions, FLIR gave the PathfindIR II an extremely tough housing to protect the camera from any and all dust or water ingress. The camera unit itself is rated IP69, the highest ingress protection rating possible, meaning it is totally sealed against dust and can protect against water immersion even for extended periods at high pressures. The housing's lens window is also made from highly impact-resistant glass which is also replaceable if needed.

The camera housing window also features a built-in heating element which activates automatically when it senses temperatures less than +4°C - it powers down when window temperature is more than +6°C. This heater is capable of defrosting a 2mm layer of ice frozen to the window within 15 minutes when the ambient temperature is -30°C and wind speed against the window is 100kph (60mph).
 

Quick & Easy Installation

The PathfindIR II is simple to install. Check out our install video for a complete tutorial. There are only a few steps to the process. The first is to find a suitable mounting location for the camera. FLIR recommends that the camera be mounted between 19 - 31in high when measured from ground level - optimal height is listed as 25.5in high. FLIR also says that, in order to get the best out of the camera's Pedestrian and Animal detection feature (PD/AD - included on this model), the camera should be mounted so it is centered with the vehicle as best as possible. Make sure to mount the camera as level as possible with the road and try to align the center of the image with the horizon.

Once camera mounting is taken care of, the camera's ECU must be mounted inside the vehicle's cabin (the ECU is not weather sealed and cannot get wet). Once mounted, there is one cable to run from the ECU to the camera, and another combination cable that comes out of the ECU and connects to both a 12 VDC power source and video output. Video output on the PathfidnIR II is done via a female BNC jack - you can connect this to any vehicle head unit, but many do not have BNC jacks. If this is the case, we have had success using third-party video adapters, but we cannot guarantee any of these will work for you.
 

Powerful Specifications

FLIR is one of the top names in thermal imaging technology for consumer, professional, law enforcement, and military applications. The PathfindIR II PD/AD features FLIR's 320x240 Uncooled Microbolometer infrared sensor for impressive thermal image clarity in any conditions. The camera also features a 38-micron pixel pitch and integrated 19mm lens with a 24° (h) x 18° (v) field of view. The camera features both NTSC and PAL video output depending on your location (USA/Europe). Power consumption is 2W (6W w/heater on) with a 1.8 A maximum system current. The camera must be powered via a 12 VDC automotive circuit and can be connected via the vehicle's fuse box, or even directly to its battery. The camera weighs only about a half-pound - its dimensions are 2.6" × 3.4" × 3.2" (60 × 86 × 82 mm). ECU dimensions are 5.8" × 4.3" × 0.9" (148 × 110 × 24 mm).

Disclaimer:

The PathFindIR II is designed for commercial, over the road, automotive applications. While many other applications are possible, each user should carefully consider additional protection and installation methods that might be required for any given application. Mechanical, environmental, and electrical requirements should be evaluated to assure that PathFindIR II can be utilized with satisfactory results. Particular attention needs to be given to the electrical system that will power the PathFindIR II as the camera is designed for the automotive 12 VDC power environment and conforms to ISO 7637-2 requirements for transients and disturbances on the typical automotive power system. If the PathFindIR II is installed in applications other than commercial automobiles, additional power conditioning or protection may be required.

See Further Than Ever Before

The main benefit of a car night vision system or vehicle-mounted thermal camera is the increased visibility these devices give drivers at night. Average headlights only illuminate up to 450 feet ahead of the vehicle but PathfindIR II can see up to four times farther than this without any light at all, giving you more time to react and increasing your chances of avoiding an accident. The majority of accidents happen at night even though this is when the least amount of people are on the roads, meaning night driving is statistically dangerous. A vehicle-mounted thermal camera can help even the odds in your favor, especially when it comes to seeing pedestrians, animals, cyclists, joggers, or any other warm body.



The best part is that, unlike a car night vision system, an automotive thermal camera like the PathfindIR II can improve your visibility in any lighting or weather conditions, day or night. Thermal imaging cameras are not dependent on visible light at all because they only detect infrared radiation emitted from warm objects. That means the PathfindIR II isn't affected by headlights on other vehicles, sun glare, reflections, or even environmental conditions like fog, dust, and smoke.

Applications

Thermal imaging cameras can help drivers of any vehicle in any situation. Driver vision infrared cameras can be found on numerous vehicles and are even an optional extra on many luxury passenger vehicles today.

Consumer Aftermarket

For passenger vehicles, driver vision thermal cameras improve your visibility in all conditions, giving you more time to react and increasing road safety. Installation is easy and requires no extensive modifications to your vehicle. Several luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes are already offering vehicle-mounted IR cameras as optional extras on their vehicles - they are also using FLIR cameras. Several third party companies also offer interface kits so factory navigation systems will accept and control the PathFindIR II driving vision system.

Heavy Trucking (Vehicle OEM)

Anyone driving a large commercial vehicle like a tractor-trailer can benefit from a vehicle-mounted IR camera. Larger vehicles take longer to stop - a thermal camera can help these drivers see obstacles and hazards up to four times farther away than with headlights alone, allowing for more time to react. When it comes to the security of your job, the value of an upgrade like the PathfindIR II cannot be overstated.

Recreational Vehicles (Class A, C, Super C)

Similar to large commercial vehicles, large recreational vehicles can also benefit from the increased visibility and reaction time provided by a thermal imaging camera. The ability to see hazards farther away on dark, rural roads will help you get to your destination safely.

Mining

Thermal imaging cameras can be extremely helpful for equipment operators in mining applications. Shovel and scoop vehicles can benefit from thermal imaging by being able to see through dust and debris, even at night, assuring the product gets to the haul truck efficiently. Haul trucks can benefit from thermal imaging by ensuring safe driving to the dump location.

Emergency Response

For emergency response vehicles, thermal imaging cameras are an excellent addition. Fire crews especially will benefit from increased visibility through smoke and debris. When mounted on fire trucks and fire control systems, firefighters are able to quickly detect areas of concern and arrive safely at the scene.

Night vision technologies: NIR vs FIR

Today there are two different technologies on the market for infrared night vision systems - Far Infrared or FIR (also called Passive Infrared), and Near Infrared or NIR (also called Active Infrared). These systems both claim to aid driver vision yet they are fundamentally different in how they function.

An NIR system sends out its own beam of infrared radiation in front of the vehicle. This radiation is reflected by objects and pedestrians in the road, and this information is used to create an image on-screen in the vehicle. PathfindIR II doesn't work like this - PathfindIR II is a FIR system, meaning that it registers differences in heat (infrared radiation) emitted by objects and human beings. It does not need an additional light source on the vehicle.

In testing, FIR systems demonstrated that they could see much farther and detect pedestrians and obstacles sooner when compared to NIR. FIR systems also have fewer components and are less likely to fail. These systems are also not influenced by headlights of oncoming traffic, streetlights, and powerfully reflective surfaces like traffic signs. NIR systems are often thrown off by light-intensive objects in the scene and can even be totally blinded when detected by an NIR system from another vehicle. FIR systems like PathfindIR II are not affected by light and there is no risk that the driver is blinded by oncoming headlights or other light sources.
 

Safety is increased, but not guaranteed

Car night vision and thermal imaging technologies like FLIR PathfindIR II do not provide total safety for the driver. Just like any other driver-assist, this technology is intended only to aid the driver in staying safe on the road and cannot guarantee total safety from all accidents. The driver is still in full control of the vehicle at all times when using PathfindIR II and must take care to keep the vehicle under control in a safe manner. Reckless driving will always cause accidents and injuries, no matter how many safety features are implemented in a vehicle.