Thermal imaging has remained an interesting, if costly, technology for some time. One lower cost option is the the Grid-EYE sensor from Panasonic. While it has a resolution of only 8×8 pixels, it’s priced in the low double digit range, making it an ideal candidate for budget projects. If you’d like to add it to your build, Pesky Products has a has a breakout available that allows it to be used with the I²C protocol.
Xose Pérez, after finding this sensor and breakout on Tindie, which he (correctly) considers “a great place to find uncommon electronic components or weird/interesting boards,” decided to make his own low-resolution IR camera. At only 64 pixels of resolution, it’s not as capable as more expensive units, but it could still be very useful for getting a general idea of what is hot and cold in a room/environment. The case is made out of slices of acrylic, paper, cardboard, and MDF, giving it a very unique look. It also features a small screen to display supplemental information, and a simple button/switch interface.
The Grid-EYE with Pesky Products’ breakout
While Pérez ended up making his own breakout for this sensor, we’re happy to see that this site helped inspire this awesome project. If you’ve made something awesome involving or influenced by Tindie, we’d love to hear about it. Tweet at us @Tindie, or you can ping me on my personal account @JeremySCook!
Finally, if you want to see what an 8×8 resolution IR sensor can do, check out the video below:
