I am not sure how it would make flashlights obsolete but it is way cool. I think it could supplement flashlights at times when flashlights don't illuminate much.

I've been waiting years for thermal imaging prices to come down. I really want to see consumer thermal imaging hit the mass market soon.

I agree with BigWarpGuy, I think the flashlight is safe since it lights up stuff and you look directly at the object with your eyes, rather than through a monitor. And you can look at something from a different angle than the light source, which is sometimes necessary.
However, having thermal imaging cheap and ubiquitous is a real game-changer, and big companies in that sector are in real trouble. Remember slide rules?

Could we PLEASE get these into ALL automobiles as OEM and retrofit?! I'm sick and tired of facing blindingly bright headlights/foglights because those drivers can't see the road at night.
It's not enough for those driving 'luxury' vehicles (Beamers, Caddies, etc) to have night vision - we ALL need it. Many's the time I've found carcasses of dead deer in the road or off to the side - with huge blood splatters and, sometimes, compact cars and minivans disabled with caved-in windshields. I've been lucky so-far because I wear yellow lenses which block the UV and blue light wavelengths but THIS technology would allow every driver to spot wildlife in the road well ahead of having to 'panic brake' or hit them.

Great idea but there are times when you need direct vision. This won't stop deer and other road kills; the animals usually come out to fast.

BigWarpGuy, instead of flashlights, we'd put on an augmented-reality headset that displays a thermal video.

It won't replace the flashlight for the simple reason that it doesn't distinguish objects by their reflectivity but by their thermal emissivity (in practical terms, by temperature rather than by color). This makes all objects that are at the same temperature look the same (and "objects" like footprints that are at a different temperature stand out). Cool, but way different from a flashlight.

I suppose that this technology could take heat seeking missiles to a whole new level of capability, not to mention their probable use in identifying dummy warheads used by strategic nuclear missiles to confuse anti-ballistic missile systems.

Just keep this cheap tech away from the bad guys!

What's the technology readiness level (TRL) of this research? Anything less than a 6 and it will be a long time before actual devices are produced.