Inteliscope: Turn Your Smart Phone into an Interactive Optic—SHOT Show 2014

in Accessories Misc., Authors, Paul Helinski, SHOT Show 2014

Updated: January 17, 2014 BY GunsAmerica Actual

Inteliscope: Turn Your Smart Phone into an Interactive Optic—SHOT Show 2014

Inteliscope: Turn Your Smart Phone into an Interactive Optic—SHOT Show 2014

Inteliscope
https://inteliscopes.com/

Inteliscope has an interesting product here at SHOT show 2014: a smart phone holder that is designed to mount to a rail on your rifle or pistol. The newest version is the Inteliscope Pro, a universal mount that will hold most smart phones. At this time, the apps are available for iPhone and Android. While we were initially skeptical about mounting a phone on the top of a rifle, we had to see it for ourselves. And we were converted. We’ve seen the light.

The working example here at SHOT is set up on the side of an AR. As you can see in the photos, this set-up still lets you use a traditional primary optic. The feed from the phone is sent to a TV screen to show some of the things that can be done. From inside the app you can record in real time to the phone. I can see this being used to show some truly amazing shots for bragging rights, or it could show an embarrassing miss. Mounting the phone on the side could even allow a shooter to peek around a corner while staying concealed.

The app will save a profile for your guns so you don’t have to set them up each time you go out. You will simply select what firearm you want to use, and it will remember your zero settings. Speaking of zero, to make sure you remount your phone into the Inteliscope exactly the same, you will have to make some marks on the back of your phone case to index them to the mount. But that’s easy enough.

The app will also allow you to put your phone in “airplane mode” with a couple of swipes and clicks. This is important to me. I can imagine being in the field sighted in on a monster buck with the app recording the epic shot I am about to take, when my wife texts to ask me to pick up some milk on the way home. No need to pull the trigger and lose my sight picture to her picture on the notification.

The Inteliscope Pro has an all-metal housing that weighs around 8oz. The MSRP is $169. We’ll have one soon and will put it through its paces.

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Phil January 20, 2014, 10:51 pm

I would really like to see the inteliscope paired with the Flir One. I’ve always wanted a thermal scope to play with, but I don’t have $5-20k just for a sight.
The Flir One is basically a phone case for the iPhone 5/5s that has a 60×60 thermal imager coupled with a 640×480 camera to create a merged image between the two as well as a little software wizardy to make the images seem more detailed than 60×60 would suggest. The camera is supposed to be in the $350 range, if inteliscope can be adapted to work with Flir’s developer software kit and the mount was modified to fit the case, that would put a “real” thermal weapon sight within +$500…

Anyway, that’s my pie in the sky dream for inteliscope.

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- Army127 January 27, 2014, 1:57 am
  
  Also the US Military already has a system that uses a smartphone type device to send real time pictures of the battlefield to soldiers as well as maps and coordinates. The soldiers can also send back video and text info as well. This is in use in Afghanistan already. It is of course much better and sturdier than this Inteliscope system. The Inteliscope does look like it has some uses though
  
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SN January 20, 2014, 9:10 pm

btw .. I own a few drones and yes, I can send GPS signals to my drone. But here is something you should know, I have to install an app that I wrote to send my GPS signal out to the drone. So the only way my drone can come after you is you happen to lend me your phone so I can put the app on there or you somehow was tricked to downloading an app that does that. Everytime you download and run an app, it always ask you if you are going to share your GPS coordinates. Just say no. And as mentioned before, turn off your GPS.

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retrocon January 20, 2014, 3:56 pm

As others mentioned, the smartphone wouldn’t be the best platform, due to the GPS. However, the iPod Touch device… no GPS on board, would be great. Don’t know how long that will last, Big Bro needs to track us, you know.

That said, here’s an obvious improvement… a swivel mount for the device, and an external camera that plugs into it (or using one of the wireless protocols to move the picture). Now, you could align the external camera for aiming, use the main device as the display, and really shoot around corners. They say they are sending the phones display to an external monitor, i would suggest that an external camera would be less expensive, and more practical.

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PK January 20, 2014, 1:51 pm

I wonder how an iPhone will handle recoil? Lol

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DC January 20, 2014, 9:31 am

Joe,

I don’t think they are looking to actively market this to military units, but rather
give the average joe a neat tool to play with or use in training. The sheer size of a smartphone
is prohibitive for military combat, however the concept – already in use isn’t bad for training, etc.
I look it at it as a novelty for the range or hunting. However a variant of this, in a smaller package with
encryption for gps, etc, could be very useful in combat. Think of the apache helio and the ability for one to
mark a target for the the group, a a curious way to share video information in a combat senario…

Just needs a secure and smaller package – especially since post processing of imagery can be done real-time for
location of targets and things the eye might not see on its own.

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DC January 20, 2014, 9:31 am

Joe,

I don’t think they are looking to actively market this to military units, but rather
give the average joe a neat tool to play with or use in training. The sheer size of a smartphone
is prohibitive for military combat, however the concept – already in use isn’t bad for training, etc.
I look it at it as a novelty for the range or hunting. However a variant of this, in a smaller package with
encryption for gps, etc, could be very useful in combat. Think of the apache helio and the ability for one to
mark a target for the the group, a a curious way to share video information in a combat senario…

Just needs a secure and smaller package – especially since post processing of imagery can be done real-time for
location of targets and things the eye might not see on its own.

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Joseph Couture January 20, 2014, 9:08 am

My problem with this system has nothing to do with being able to record your shot. I’m a little more practical than that..
Most of us understand what may be coming. I, for one do not want to be hiding behind a stone wall using my smart phone for fire control while the people I’m hiding from are using my smart phone GPS signal to bring a pin point drone attack down on me. Now you say to turn off the GPS in your smart phone. I know for a fact that doesn’t work. This type of video fire control should be stand alone and not dependent on a “Smart Phone”.

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- BB January 20, 2014, 9:59 am
  
  Your smart phone cannot be tracked with the gps turned off period. There’s no secondary gps unit that is always on. If you lose your iPhone and have gps turned off, you cannot track it and find it.
  
  That said, I agree, this smart phone sight is not up to the task by any measure.
  
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  - RJ January 20, 2014, 3:19 pm
    
    Actually, it can still be tracked. Case in point, several years ago I hit a deer on my way to work at 2a. I know my GPS was off when I called 911 to report it. They relayed my info to the state highway patrol with the exact location of my car. They did so even though I didn’t know exactly were I was sitting other than the name of the primary street I was on.
    
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    - SN January 20, 2014, 9:06 pm
      
      The reason they can track you is because of the cell towers. You were calling them so your position can easily be determined. If you are not calling and your GPS is off, your phone can not send out coordinates.
      
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    - Ben January 21, 2014, 8:30 pm
      
      Generally speaking; nearly every mobile phone since 2003 will automatically enable GPS as soon as you dial 911, as part of Phase II of the e911 system, regardless of your user settings. Law enforcement also can remotely activate location on a device (with a warrant) as well (in the case of a kidnapping, for example).
      
      And of course, your provider can also use various network techniques to locate the signal source using only their towers.
      
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  - Dave January 21, 2014, 8:12 pm
    
    According to my carrier (Verizon), GPS is turned on when you call 911 and cannot be turned off.
    
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M. Johnson January 20, 2014, 7:21 am

This is thought provoking. Ever since watching and thinking about “The Thin Blue Line” I have been looking for a way to expand the use of light and other illumination with criminal encounters. In my imagination, if you photo shoot an intruder with this then you have superb evidence for the police to do the rest… removing much of the incentive to shoot him as a civilian and face the usual $50,000 legal bill for the lawsuit that follows. It’s not fair you should be sued by the family of a criminal, but much in the legal system falls short of real justice.

This gadget illustrates the principle, but today’s equipment is not up to the job yet.

A lot of people like to talk about bravely killing the criminal, but it really is smarter and wiser to reduce the violence and keep your retirement fund.

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