Waveshare: Thermal imaging camera suitable for use as a HAT for the Raspberry Pi and comes with USB-C for PCs and smartphones

Waveshare has a new thermal imaging camera in its range, which is not a stand-alone system, but is intended specifically for the Raspberry Pi. This variant is plugged directly into the GPIO pin header and is thus particularly easy to install. This allows a single-board computer to be supplemented with a infrared camera, enabling the implementation of systems such as an alarm system with smart detection or an overheating detection system. The device is not only compatible with the Raspberry Pi in its usual form, but also with the Raspberry Pi Zero. Moroever, the device also comes with a USB-C port, meaning that it can be used on a laptop or desktop PC as well as on a smartphone with Android.

The camera itself is not fixed, but is mounted on a cable and so can be aimed at objects. The cable can also be replaced with a larger cable. The maximum frame rate is specified as 25 frames per second, and the circuit board itself can be used in a temperature range of between - 20 °C and 85 °C. Temperatures between - 20 °C and 400 °C can be recorded. A measurement accuracy of ±2 ℃ is specified. Lastly, the model is available in two versions: one with a 45° field of view and the other with a 90° field of view.

The Long-wave IR Thermal Imaging Camera Module with a resolution of 80 x 62 is available directly from Waveshare at a price of $120.