Skip to main content

Kalt turns your iPhone into a precise, non-contact thermometer

Kalt Infrared Thermometer iPhone

Robogaia Industries is using Kickstarter to seek funding for a product called Kalt, an infrared sensor that plugs into an iPhone’s headphone jack and turns the smartphone into a precise, non-contact thermometer. The Cleveland-based company is looking to raise $10,000 over the next three weeks to cover development and manufacturing costs.

The palm-sized Kalt sensor reads the infrared energy that an object omits and converts it into readable temperatures in Fahrenheit, Celsius or Kelvin. Simply point Kalt towards the object and it will automatically show the temperature on the companion app for iOS and Android. The sensor is powered by the device it is plugged into and requires no batteries.

Kalt’s app also displays a graph that tracks the temperature as it changes over a period of time, and the sensor has a built-in temperature recording feature so that you can store readings in a file. Planned to be available on the App Store and Google Play Store, the app must be running in order to detect the sensor and display readings.

The Kalt accessory has a translucent plastic casing that provides a retro view of some of the internal components, which instantly reminded me of Nintendo’s old-school clear Game Boy Color that you could see right through. The sensor is small enough to store in a backpack or purse for carrying on the go and will be available in four color options: blue, yellow, orange and green.

Robogaia has a working prototype of the Kalt sensor and is relying on pledges to take the product to the manufacturing stage. You can reserve your own Kalt for an early bird price of $41 or pledge more and receive additional sensors or extension cables. The sensor is estimated to ship in April, although keep in mind that Kickstarter projects sometimes miss the delivery mark.

Kalt is compatible with iPhone, iPad and several Android-based smartphones and tablets.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. A more expensive solution for a problem that already has a cheaper solution: http://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421518860&sr=8-1&keywords=infrared+thermometer. What exactly is the purpose of needing this to be hooked up to your phone? There are other non-gun like infrared thermometers out there that are just a little bigger (and won’t get lost as easily) as this device.

    • robogaia (@robogaia) - 9 years ago

      If you read the reviews of the amazon thermometer you will see that the quality is not the greatest.
      The phone app allows you to see the graph , record the temperature and also allows future expansions.
      The Kalt sensor has a hole that allows you to attach it to a key chain so you cannot lose it.

  2. Scott Ribe - 9 years ago

    Uhm, 0.5C degree accuracy is not possible unless you know the emissivity of the surface whose temperature you’re taking.

  3. philboogie - 9 years ago

    The combination of an iPhone in the title and a non-iphone in the picture always gets me. As for the product I can’t really comment as I have no use for it.

  4. friedmud1 - 9 years ago

    “omits” -> “emits”

    Just helping out :-)

  5. André Hedegaard - 9 years ago

    1:23 – Is it just me or do I find that 2x students dressed in white lab coats, in their own basement, using a CRT monitor and other gadgetry, calling themselves a “professional team” just a touch amateurish?
    If this “team” could create such a gadget, why couldn’t they make a professional looking video?
    (And thats not even to mention the loudness volume of the video – someone forgot to Normalize the audio)

    Pray tell then, how this gadget would even work properly if we’re already seeing amateur stuff from the video alone?

    • marsontherocks - 9 years ago

      Maybe their expertice and interests are in the product development, and not the movie cutting/film creation department…?

    • robogaia (@robogaia) - 9 years ago

      Andre.
      Thanks for your feedback.
      Both of the “students” are finishing a degree in computer science and one of is already is working for NASA.
      We already have 3 funded projects on Kickstarter we delivered them successfully. Also we deliver our products through a major US store.
      We spent more than 15 hours working on the video , and we could not afford to spend more than that.
      We hired a professional voice for the video.
      Thanks everyone for support.

      • André Hedegaard - 9 years ago

        Ok, so I was correct that these are students. It dosen’t matter what they’re studying and if they’re working for NASA or not – that is not a precursor to the quality of the product.

        I’m sure the product is fine – but you could use more time than 15 hours on the video, it would have made it better. And to normalize the audio track would have taken 3 mins. at the click of a button.

        Good luck with your product. :)