FLIR One case gives your iPhone infra red night vision

Yeah – your iPhone 5 or 5S can do many things, but can it help you see in the dark? Well, with the FLIR One case yes, yes it can.

Instead of having to strap on some special goggles, you can now enjoy all the sneaky cool things that thermal imaging can give you via your Apple smartphone thanks to a clever case.

FLIR One fits around your iPhone 5/5s and features two side-by-side cameras on the rear: An infrared one and a VGA one that adds a bit more detail to the blobby heat-mapped image for that Predator-style imaging.

Before you ask, yes this would normally sap your batteries but, thankfully, the case also has its own built-in 1400mAh cell which will power it for a couple of hours. That battery won’t charge your iPhone, but it does prevent the case from having to slurp your iPhone’s go juice.

The camera system is used in conjunction with a free app which allows you to scan things for their thermal properties and capture those images if you want to. The app comes with some filters, panorama and timelapse modes, and video-recording capabilities.

It’s main goal is practicality, though. According to FLIR, the case’s thermal-imaging capabilities can help pinpoint the position of pipe clogs, identify leaks before they damage wood and walls, find weak spots in your home’s insulation, see if there are raccoons hiding in your shrubs, and make sure your pet is still alive.

Personally I think this is probably more likely to be used to cheat at hide and seek or spy on people in tents.

I guess that if you’re camping in bear country, it might not protect you but you’ll be able to see them coming before anyone else and perhaps get away quicker.

The FLIR One case is only available for pre-order in the states for now and will hit you up for $350 – in the meantime you could always play with their simulator.