The Newest Drone Accessory Is a Little Scary

Anybody who’s already a little suspicious of camera-equipped drones flying around their neighborhood just got another reason to fuel their droneaphobia: Thermal cameras.

Leading drone company DJI worked with imaging company FLIR Systems to create the Zenmuse XT, a thermal camera for drones.

Thermal cameras work in the infrared spectrum instead of visible light, resulting in images that make it easy to pick out heat sources, like human bodies or fires.

DJI hasn’t put a price tag on the Zenmuse XT just yet. But it has said it will only work with the company’s higher-end drones, so don’t expect to see your neighbor flying around with one just yet. DJI is marketing the camera towards professional applications, like firefighting and agriculture.

“Almost every week we see new applications of our aerial technology,” said DJI Founder and CEO Frank Wang in a statement. “Adding thermal imaging as an additional sensor options for aerial platforms will open up new AND innovative uses for our users, whether it’s gaining strategic insight into how their crops are growing or more efficiently understanding the spread of fires.”