So is it possible that we're going to see a massive drop in the cost of thermal optics in the near future? Some researchers just developed a new sulfur based polymer lens that doesn't require expensive/less available elements like germanium, can be made using made into complex shapes using common plastic forming techniques rather than needing to be ground, and cost less than 1 cent per lens.
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-06-weve-lens-thermal-cameras-spy.html
>So is it possible that we're going to see a massive drop in the cost of thermal optics in the near future?
we already did wtf are you talking about
a thermal camera that would have cost 100k in 2010 is now 3000 and smaller and lighter
>we already did wtf are you talking about
Until we see Nerf unveil a thermal optic to go with their digital night vision optic, we can still go lower.
>If the new one is much cheaper and more compact though it may allow neat new stuff like cheaply incorporating some fusion into traditional setups. Can get away with much lower res if it's just adding on to other information sources, reg visible or NV.
I didn't think of that. A digital night vision/thermal fusion optic in the $500-$1k range that current digital night vision optics land in would probably be a huge hit for hunters.
nerf doesn't offer a night vision optic, that's just a camera with the IR filter removed
Yes and? Are you arguing that gen 0 night vision gear isn't actually night vision?
>its enthusiast/specialist equipment
Yes, and? That describes a ton of technologies that are now commonplace. In the past you could have said the same thing about GPS, computers, or an internet connection for example, but now there are people who wouldn't know what to do if they didn't have their computer with integrated GPS and a wireless internet connection in their pocket with them at all times.
>Yes and? Are you arguing that gen 0 night vision gear isn't actually night vision?
it's literally not night vision, there's no light amplification, it's just utilizing light from a bandwidth slightly outside your perceivable range
which real nods will pick up and quickly dome your ass
>my feet move me and v16 engines move bugattis, both cause movement so they're both just as good!
>walking is just as good as driving a Bugatti!
this is a fricking terrible metaphor and you just outed yourself as a complete brainlet. what the frick are you doing?
being someone who owns lots of night vision, including the call of duty "nods" you seem to love
it's a valid comparison, especially when you compare said cod nods to l3 white phos unfilmed
but you obviously wouldn't know this
>being someone who owns lots of night vision
cringe. that's like bragging you have a basement full of slot cars.
>which real nods will pick up and quickly dome your ass
I wasn't aware that varmints now had NODs, someone better tell all the people who hunt with digital night vision that requires an IR illuminator.
>so they're both just as good
Literally no one said this you moron. And your argument applied to engines is more like claiming an old flywheel governed hit and miss engine from the early 1900s should no longer qualify as an internal combustion engine because of how primitive it is relative to engines today with its complete lack of a throttle.
you hunt varmint with the nerf night vision?
can I see your night hunting setup that incorporates that?
>you hunt varmint with the nerf night vision?
Anon, you are aware that digital night vision scopes people use for hunting work in the exact same way. Even stuff like the Sionyx Aurora only functions as well as it does because it uses a 1" sensor rather than something smaller like other mainstream consumer electronics do (while high end full frame digital cameras use sensors 7x larger than the Sionyx Aurora).
>Even stuff like the Sionyx Aurora only functions as well as it does
but it doesn't function well
try and passive aim with a sionyx
show me your hunting set up, stop dodging
>but it doesn't function well
>try and passive aim with a sionyx
So now we're at.
>digital night vision that's widely agreed to outperform gen 1 gear without IR illumination isn't actually night vision, because it doesn't work well for some use case that most people didn't care about until more recently
>show me your hunting set up
Where did you even get that I have a night hunting setup? At this point all I'm getting is that you bought some NODs on credit, and are upset that other people frick around with cheap shit because getting shot because you used an IR illuminator isn't actually a problem in the civilian world.
>Where did you even get that I have a night hunting setup
I already know you don't, that's why I asked
I can tell you don't from how moronic your takes are
>nerf night vision is based
>show me your hunting setup
>the nerf works the same way as these 1000 dollar and up devices!
whoa, that was a lightyear leap in goalpost moving if I've ever seen one, you went from 20 dollars device to 1000 dollar real fricking quick
Kek, he doesn't dome coyotes with an ar rocking a lazersneed, ir flood light, and a comfy nerf modulus.
Post it
So you can produce 33 today for what would have cost to produce 1 almost 15 years ago. 15 years from now will you be able to produce 33 of whatever comes next for the cost of what it is to produce 1 today?
I think that's what OP is getting at. 3 grand is cheap is dirt cheap in relative terms, but still not really average joe consumer accessible in practical terms for a lot of people in the way a red dot has become.
The question with this sort of thing in a gun scenario in particular always gets into sensitivity and resolution, durability, environmental reqs if any, etc. You can so thermal cheap, it's just really low res. Thermal also faces some fundamental challenges visible doesn't in terms of noise and the longer wavelength.
If the new one is much cheaper and more compact though it may allow neat new stuff like cheaply incorporating some fusion into traditional setups. Can get away with much lower res if it's just adding on to other information sources, reg visible or NV.
I remember when these were $800 for the better model. I do like the looks of pic rel and the $10k Steiner.
nope. its enthusiast/specialist equipment
Unfortunately the proliferation of thermal and night vision could be considered an officer safety issue as the threat of extremism rises in our democracy. Some sort of common sense control may be needed from the legislative side.
You can already get short range thermal weapon optics for around $1000 off of Amazon.
I believe the real future is going to be thermal fusion. Think a Sionyx Aurora and a 640 res thermal, miniaturized and mounted on top of a daytime magnified optic. Or working as a forward mounted clip on for use with a red dot. If not a standalone weapon sight.
I'm thinking of something like a long Aimpoint ACRO with a couple of 20mm lenses on the end. And a larger rear window to fit a better screen.
>it's another thread getting shit up by a buygay bragging about what he owns and trying to gatekeep discussion of something he isn't even knowledgeable of
>starts a thread asking when thermal is gonna get cheap
>gets told it already is
>starts to cry and cope
Get a real job you fricking homosexual
They already are cheap, now if they're talking higher resolutions and/or being competitive with cooled thermal optics for the same price then you have my attention.
>t. luv me $500 taipan, simple as!
Cheaper to make doesn't mean that it will be cheaper to buy. It means that either profit margin will be higher for the manufacturers. Simple economics. It's the reason why you see all car manufacturers use the same door handles.
If that article isn't just the researchers hyping their own shit (note the repeated use of "we") then something as described absolutely would bring down the cost of thermal optics tremendously. For the pedantic homosexuals ITT, I mean that the performance available at any given price point would greatly increase at the low to mid end. I cannot believe what a shitshow this thread has already devolved into.
The real question is how will the availability of cheap thermal imaging hardware affect the market beyond just more options for thermal optics at a lower price point for the performance you're getting? The US Army's FWS gun mounted cameras for displaying a crosshair overlay on a HUD worn by a soldier for example uses thermal imaging to identify where the gun is pointed relative to what the soldier sees so that a crosshair can be overlaid in the appropriate area of their field of view. Pic related is an experimental less lethal option from FN that uses computer vision to prevent the user from shooting a person in the face where it could be lethal and to make it easy to target specific parts of the body, but with cheap thermal imaging could easily be applied to lethal options for the purpose of stopping the shooter from missing.
>possible dirt cheap thermal on the horizon that will ensure even poorgays have thermal
>the US Army is getting a HUD, also a smart scope with the NGSW program
>Microsoft and Apple have both unveiled HUDs for the commercial and consumer market, with other countries likely to follow shortly
>guns linking to your HUD is already a thing
>companies are already prototyping smart guns that give you IRL VATS abilities
>3D printed guns have matured to the point where there are now multiple options for actually handgun size .22 autoloaders that aren't dependent on commercial gun parts
>use of wifi hotspots as a radar capable of detecting and locating people and animals through walls is set to become an IEEE standard with 802.11bf and will likely be ready to be included in routers by the time the wifi 7 standard for higher speeds is adopted next year
>the first Tesla Cybertrucks with body panels capable of NIJ IIa protection are set to roll off the assembly line by the end of this year, which could kick off an arms race and shake up the entire handgun market
>criminals are now stealing cars by jacking into their computer with preconfigured hacking devices
>multiple companies are selling easily hidden GPS trackers that start at $30, and there are cases of both criminals using them and citizens using them to track down people who stole their property
>last month was the first patient trial for electronically reconnecting a patients brain to their severed spine allowing them to walk again
>AI chatbots shitting up discussion on the internet is an actual issue
At least we're finally getting some of the cool stuff.
>last month was the first patient trial for electronically reconnecting a patients brain to their severed spine allowing them to walk again
Let's be honest that's pretty fricking cool.
>some researcher just invented
Batteries that are 2-3x better than lithium ion were "invented" 15+ years ago.