Drivers to adopt military infrared system

A HI-TECH thermal imaging system based on US military technology is set to make night-time driving safer.

Cork-based Halo Security has just secured a special licence from the US government to export the PathFindIR product, which can see in the dark.

The Forward Looking Infra Red technology is used in military aircraft operating in war zones like Iraq to select targets.

It is also used by police forces to track suspects from the air and it can be used in rescue missions to locate victims lost at sea.

But it has also been adapted for commercial use.

Halo Security had to go through a rigorous background check to secure the export licence because of fears the technology could fall into terrorists’ hands.

They company has begun to import the product for sale here.

Its wide-angle camera, about the size of an orange, can be mounted inside the grill on the front of a vehicle. It picks up infra-red heat signatures and transmits images to a 7” screen, on the dashboard.

It allows motorists to pick out hazards beyond the range of their headlights, see more of the road and eliminates the danger of being blinded by oncoming lights.

Halo Security’s managing director Greg McGarry said the device is ideally suited to large commercial vehicles with long stopping distances, or emergency vehicles like fire engines.

But the device, which costs €6,000 fully installed, can also be used in private vehicles.

“We would see this as another natural checkpoint for drivers,” said Mr McGarry.

“You should rely on it like you would your rear-view mirror or side mirrors.

“It can pick out pedestrians in total darkness before your headlights pick them up.”

Halo Security was founded in 2005 and is based in Glanmire. It specialises in commercial and domestic security, providing CCTV and other security products.

It pioneered the introduction of fleet management tracking systems, and supplies GPS technology to emergency services for the mapping of fatal road traffic accident sites.

It has also fitted thousands of vehicle tracking systems, anti-theft and anti-hijack devices to company vehicles.

Halo also launched a road safety device earlier this year that allows parents monitor how fast their child is driving.

The Italian-made MetaSat SMS Safety Route product can be set to restrict the speed at which can the car can be driven.

When the driver exceeds that speed, a text message is sent to the parent’s mobile phone to alert them.

Parents can then choose to send a text message to disable the car the next time the engine is turned off.

The company also offers a child-tracker device, about the size of an iPod, which has a panic button to alert parents, as well as the capability to make an emergency 999 call.

* www.halosecurity.ie or 1890 882 999.