While long known for its imagery products, electronic systems manufacturer Flir (booth 1851) has been making a concerted effort to branch out into laser products.
One of the new products the company is showing is a new solid-state laser rangefinder, built in three versions. The smallest has with a range of 2km and weight of 115g, while the 10km version weighs 270g. A number have been deployed with an undisclosed customer, and feedback has been very good, according to Falgun Patel, programme manager for Flir's electro-optical components.
The market for such products is roughly 3,000-5,000 annually, including both handheld and aerial versions, and Flir fully intends to integrate the laser into its existing imagery products.
Solid-state technology uses very low power and has very low weight in comparison to the traditional diode laser. Operating outside the visible spectrum, the dot is visible to short-wave infrared cameras - which Flir also sells. "Customers who buy this are also typically interested in the camera," says Patel.
Source: Flight Daily News