Thermal Camera Tutorial

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on Jan 23, 2013

Thermal cameras can deliver where visible conventional cameras fail, but they come with significant tradeoffs which must be considered. In this tutorial, we cover these topics, including:

Why Thermal?

  • ******* ***** ******
  • *********, ** ***********
  • ********* ***********
  • **** *****
  • ***** **. ***/****
  • ******* **** *********
  • ****

** ****** *** **** *********** *** **, *********** ************ ******* will ****** **** *********** ****** **** ***** ****** *** *** or ****** ** ********. ***** **** ** *** **** *****, instead ***** ******** ********* ** ******* ******, ******* ******* *** fit ** ************ ***** ****** ****. **** ****** ** **** our******* **. ***/***** ********, **** *** ******* ****** ********* ** ***** ***** *** visible ****** **** ***:

thermal dn comparison

Uncooled ** ******

**** ******** **** ******* ******** ******* *******, *** **** ******** used ****** ** ************. *******, ****** ******* *** *** *** farther *** **** **** ****. *******'* ******** ** ****** ******* * ******** ** ****** *******.

Image *******

***** **** ** *** *** ******* *****, ******* ******* ** not ********* *****, *** **** ******* ******* ***** ** ******* of ******* *********** *** ****. *********** ****, ***** ***** ********** results ** ***** ***** *******, ******* ******** ******. ** ***** ranges, ********** **** *** *******, **** ******* *** ** ***********, such ** ******** *****, ** * ***** ******* *** ** recognizable, *** ***** *** ********* ******** *****, *** *** ****.

***** ****** *** ******** ** ******* ******* ** ***** *** long ******. **** *** ******* ***** *** ** **** *** on *** ******* ** *** **** ***** (***, ****, *****, glasses, ***.), ***** ** *** *** *****, *** ******* ** only * *** ****** ******* ******* *** **********:

Thermal range examples

****** ******* *******, ***** ********** *** ******** ***** ******* ** imaging, ******** ** *** **** ********* ****** ********* ******* ******' usability. *** *******, ** ** **** ** ***** ****** **** our ***** ** ******* ******* ***** *******, ** *** *** the ********* ** ******** **** ***** ** **** ******* ** less ********** ** ******* *******:

Start of stormEnd of storm

Thermal **********

****** ******* ***** *******, ***** *** ********* **** *********, ******* camera ********** *** ******** ****** ******, **** **** **********, *** x ***, ***** **** ******, ****** **** ****** ************* ***** a ******** ****** **********, *******. ******* ********** ** *** ******* maximum ******* ************ *********, *** ********* **** ******* **** *** x *** *******. **********, *********** ***** **** **** ******, **** as *** * ***, *** ***** *** ******* ***, **** manufacturers ************* ***** ****** ** ****** ********** ****** ***** **** down. ** *********** *** *********** ******* **** *** *** ******* in ********** ********** ********.

******

****** ******* *******, ***** ** ****** *** ********* ****** *** ubiquitous, ******* ******* ****** ****** *** ***** ***** ****** ******. When ********* ******* *******, *** ***** ** ********* ***** *** determine **** **** ****** / *** **** ****. ********* **** lenses *** *********, *** *** ******* ******-*** ***/****/**** *******, *** *******, *** *********** ******** **** ****.

******* ****** ****** *** ********* ******** *************, ** ***** ** *** ********* *********** *** ******** ****** thermal *******. **** ** *** ****** ******* ****** ***** ********* as **** **** **** **, ** ****** ****** ** ********* are **** ********* ** ****** *** *******.

How *** *** * ******* ****** ***?

******* ******* *** *** *** *** *** ********* ******** ** a *** *******:

  • **** ******: ******* ******* *** ********** ********* **** ** ****** ** less **** ** ****** ********** ****. **** *** *******, *** narrower *** ***, *** ******* *** ****** *** *** (**** a ******* ******** ****).
  • **********: *****, ** ***** *****, *** ********* ******* *** **** common ** ************ (**** *** ***), ****** *** ***** *** not **** **** ******** ************* **** **** ** ***.
  • ************* **********: ******* ** **** ****** **** ************ ******* *** *** be ********** ** ******* ************* **********. *** ********, ***** **** or **** *** ****** ********** ** **** ** *** ************ close ** **** ** * ***** *****.

Fixed **. ***/****

***** ********* **** **** ******* ****** *********, ***/**** ****** *** still ********** ********. **** *****, ******* ******* ******* ******* ** a ***** ****** ******* ** * ***/**** **********, ***** **** digital ****, *** ** *** **** ***** ** ******* **** lenses. ******* ***** **** ******* **** ******* ** ****** **** common, ********,***, *********** ******** ****** ** **** **** ******.

******* **** ** ******* **** ****** ** ******* ******* **** visible. ******* *** ****** ** **** ********* ********* ***** *****, often ***** ** **** ******, * **** ******** *** **** be * *** ****** ** ******. *** ******* ** ********* zoom *** ****** ** **** **** ** ******** **** *** provide ********** ******, *** ** ****** ********* *** ******, *** subject *** ** ****** ** ***.

Thermal **** *********

******* **** ******* * ******-******** ***** ** ******* **********, ******* cameras *** ***** ********* *** *********. ********** ** *** ***** scenes, **** * ******* ****** *** ******* ***** ***** *** to ********* ****, ******* ******* *** ** **** *********. ************, thermal ********** ******* *** **********, *** ****** ******** *** ************ cameras. However, ******* ******* *** ***** ** ******** ** ****** **** branches *** ******* ******, *** ****** ********** *** *********, ** these ******* ***** ******** ****, ******** *** ***** ** **** move.

******* ** ***** ******* ** ****** ****** ***********, ******* ******* may ** **** *** *********** ********* ***** ******* ******* ******, alarming **** ************ ****** ***-*** **********. *** ******** ** **** are *** **** * ******, ******** ** ******* *********, *** the ***** ****** **, ***** ******** ******* **** ********* ** ranges ** ** ***** *****.

************

******** ** ******* *******, ***** *** **** * ***** ****** of ******* ****** *********. ***** ***** ***** ******* ** *** resolution, ** ***/**** ********, ****** ***** **** ****** **** ****** as **** **** **. ****** *** **** ****** ************ ******, *** **** **** ******* ******* ***** ***** ****** *********** of ***** *** *********. ***** ****** ***** **** ******,*****, ************* ******** ******, **** ********** ************* **** ******************* ******* ******* ******* ****.

****

******* ******* *** ************ **** ********* **** ************ *******. *** lowest **** ******* ******* ********* ***** **** * ****** ***** around $*,*** ***, ****** ***** *** ********. *********, ***** ****** expect ** *** ~$*,*** *** *** * ******* ******, *** $9,000 ** **** *** * *** ******. ****-*** *** ******* cost **** ****** ****, **** **** ** ********* ** ******* through *** *******.

***** ******* ****** **** **** **** **** *** **** ******, they **** ******* *** *** ********* ****** ** ******* ************* nor **** ***** ** *********** *** ***** ***.

*********/************

** *******, *** ********* *** ********** ** ******* ******* *** as *******:

  • ********: ******* ** *** ** ** ***** **********.
  • ********: **** ** ******* ****** ** ******* ********** **** ** smoke *** ***.
  • ********: ****** ********* ******* **** ******* ******* ** ****** ******.
  • ********: ****** ** ** ****** ** ******.
  • ********: **** **** ********* **** ******* *******.
  • ********: ********* *********** ******* ** ***** ** *** ************.
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