Vantrue unveils world’s first dash cam with thermal imaging for Predator-style night vision on the move

• Pilot 2 consists of three cameras and a touchscreen display
• Thermal imaging camera works in low light and bad weather
• Similar tech will soon be available for motorcycle riders

Vantrue chose the bustling halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to showcase its latest — and arguably smartest — dash cam package to date.

Dubbed the Pilot 2, this collection of front-facing, rear-facing and thermal-imaging cameras gives arguably one of the most all-encompassing field-of-views of any aftermarket in-car camera system on sale.

The Sony Starvis-powered front windshield camera, which actually consists of two lenses, records action within the cabin at 1080p; this is a boon for those professional drivers that want hard evidence of rowdy passengers.

A secondary front-facing 2K camera unit then records the action out of the front windshield at 1440p, while a rear windshield-mounted camera covers happenings out of the rear in the same resolution. But what makes this package different is the surprisingly compact thermal imaging camera that's designed to be mounted to the exterior of the vehicle.

Not much larger than a matchbox, but IP67 waterproof rated. the dinky unit can be mounted on the bonnet just below the windscreen, or neatly tucked into the front grille. Vantrue provides various methods to get it into the perfect position.

This then sends a live thermal feed to an included 6.25-inch touchscreen that can be installed on the dashboard, acting like a media hub for all of the various views and recordings that are taking place.

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In low-light or poor weather conditions, drivers can rearrange the display so it just shows a feed from the thermal imaging camera, which can detect heat signatures from humans, wildlife and other road users.

The Thermal Smart Module also uses Vantrue’s detection algorithms to highlight anything it thinks could be a potential danger out on the road.

Yi Mei, the company’s marketing manager, told me on the Vantrue booth at CES that the system can detect a heat signature from up to 200 feet away.

Using proprietary software, the display will highlight what it determines is a potential danger, track its movements and then send audible warnings if it feels the driver needs to slam on the brakes.

"When driving in fog, at night or in really bad rain, it’s sometimes impossible to see what’s up ahead, but a thermal imaging camera will see no matter the conditions," Yi explains.

CarPlay and motorcycles

Vantrue's marketing man says that the Pilot 2 package will retail at around $600 when it goes on sale later this year, adding that a Kickstarter campaign is soon to get underway that will see early adopters receive the product for around $450.

Although expensive, Vantrue hopes to sweeten the deal with the fact that its 6.25-inch touchscreen also doubles-up as an aftermarket solution for both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For anyone running an older car with a dated or non-existent infotainment set-up, this could be a huge plus. On top of this, the small display features a built-in speaker, but also houses an auxiliary slot for wiring up to an existing sound system.

Vantrue has big plans for its thermal imaging technology with Yi explaining that a very similar system will soon be available for motorcyclists. The Falcon 2, as it is titled, consists of similar but ultra-compact 2K resolution front and rear cameras that are specifically designed to mount to motorcycle bodywork.

In addition to this, the company is in the final stages of refining its digital cockpit that will be attached to handlebars, complete with a separate remote control for easy operation with gloved hands.

It also runs both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so riders can add wireless headphones for enjoying audio on the go and utilizing voice commands to interact with the system.

There’s no word on price for Falcon 2 just yet, but the company says it will arrive some time in Q3 of this year, along with the announcement that it will be the first company to also offer a wireless tyre pressure monitoring system that can be retrofitted to any vehicle, two wheels or four, which will then play nicely with both Falcon 2 and Pilot 2 packages.

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