Rubble Rescue Camera

A softball-sized thermal imaging camera that can be thrown into dangerous situations, from hostage situations to the aftermath of natural disasters, might sound like science fiction. But Francisco Aguilar, the founder of Bounce Imaging, has made it science fact with the Pit Viper 360, launched in September. “This is particularly applicable for industrial search and rescue safety markets,” says Aguilar. “It’s really important for seeing somebody in the rubble.” It uses six thermal imaging cameras with wide fields of view and high refresh rates, stitched together in collaboration with an accelerometer to figure out which way is up, producing live views of hard-to-reach situations. “What we try to do is make things that are accessible to lots and lots of people, from the most elite special operators to little police departments,” Aguilar says.