RealWear launches hands-free thermal camera module for its assisted reality headset

In General XR News

November 1, 2022 – RealWear, a provider of assisted reality wearable solutions for frontline industrial professionals, has today announced the launch of its fully hands-free, voice-controlled thermal camera experience.

By connecting the new RealWear thermal camera module to a RealWear Navigator 500 headset with built-in voice recognition, frontline workers can capture a high-resolution visible-spectrum image or a variety of thermal and color modes to help identify temperature anomalies in industrial equipment such as pumps, pipes, wiring and motors.

“RealWear Navigator head-mounted devices, with its revolutionary modular design, continues to gain support with Global 1000 companies as the new gold standard in assisted reality. The compelling option to add thermal image capture without occupying your hands in hazardous environments gives frontline professionals more real-time information to do their jobs safely and productively,” said Rama Oruganti, Chief Product Officer at RealWear. “By combining Teledyne FLIR’s thermal expertise with RealWear’s best-in-class voice-driven wearables through its Thermal by FLIR program, we’re creating a digital tool with extended capabilities for the modern frontline worker.” 

“Our long-term vision of assisted intelligence takes shape when you start connecting new captured data like thermal imaging into the cloud and beyond,” continued Oruganti. “Industrial wearables have a huge role to play going forward in industry 4.0, and we’re proud to be a part of the global movement.”

According to RealWear, the thermal imagery captured by its new camera module is viewable in real time and will in the future have the ability to be shared via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex Expert on Demand, among others. Compatible with Teledyne FLIR’s ecosystem, the special radiometric JPEG format images can be stored, transmitted, and downloaded for use within the FLIR Thermal Studio post-processing software for greater analysis and reporting options.

“Thermal imaging is critical to assembly, effective condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programs,” said Dan Jarvis, Sr. Director of Business Development at Teledyne FLIR. “RealWear Navigator 500 is the only hands-free system to currently incorporate the patented MSX technology, which overlays the live edge detail from the visible camera on the thermal image to provide critical information.”

RealWear noted that some of the key use cases for its RealWear Navigator with thermal camera module include electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC inspections along with initial installation readiness, process monitoring or line monitoring where a connected hands-free device adds flexibility, safety, and overall efficiency for optimum plant production such as automotive assembly line processes.

Also commenting on the newly announced thermal camera was Greg Cooper, Innovation Engineer, Manufacturing at American Honda Motor Company, who said: “A fully hands-free thermal camera will give our technicians another superpower to get the job done fast. For example, a hands-free fully voice-controlled thermal enables us to immediately show what we’re doing to address airlocks and ventilation leaks to the reliability team to give them the confidence that our engines and systems are reliable and meet our high-quality standards.”

Starting today, the new thermal camera module is available for pre-order through authorized RealWear resellers. The company added that it is expecting to ship the new module in January 2023.

For more information on RealWear and its new assisted reality thermal imaging solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: RealWear