The working principle of thermal imaging is simple but effective: All objects emit infrared energy depending on their temperature. This form of energy is invisible to the human eye, but can be detected and converted into a visual image by a thermal imaging system.
Introduction
A thermal imager equipped with an infrared detector captures the infrared radiation emitted by all objects within its field of view.
The captured radiation data is then processed by the camera's built-in software. An optical system focuses the infrared energy onto a sensor array or detector chip, with thousands of pixels in a grid.
The software converts the data into an image, called a thermal image or heat map, that represents the temperature variations of the scene.
Each temperature value is assigned a different color. Typically, hotter areas are represented by red and cooler areas by blue. The color matrix corresponding to the temperature is sent to the camera display in the form of a picture.
What is an infrared thermal imaging camera?
An infrared thermal imaging camera, commonly called a thermal imager or infrared camera, is a device that creates images using infrared radiation.
Unlike traditional cameras that use visible light to create images, thermal cameras operate in the long-wavelength infrared spectrum, which extends to 14,000 nanometers.
Thermal cameras work by detecting the heat emitted by an object and converting it into an electronic signal. This signal is then processed to produce a thermal image on a video monitor. The camera can also perform temperature calculations, making it a versatile tool for any application that requires an accurate temperature reading. From diagnosing electrical problems to identifying insulation gaps in buildings, infrared thermal imaging cameras are very useful in many professional fields. Handheld thermal imagers are the most popular type, but there are also devices such as fixed infrared scanners.
How Infrared Cameras Work (Detailed Answer)
All objects emit infrared energy, called a heat signature. Infrared cameras (also called thermal imagers) detect and measure the infrared energy of an object. The camera converts the infrared data into an electronic image that shows the surface temperature of the object being measured.
Infrared cameras contain an optical system that focuses the infrared energy onto a special detector chip (sensor array) that contains thousands of detector pixels arranged in a grid.
Each pixel in the sensor array reacts to the infrared energy focused on it and produces an electronic signal. The camera processor takes the signal from each pixel and mathematically computes it to create a color map of the object's surface temperature. Each temperature value is assigned a different color. The resulting color matrix is sent to memory and the camera's display as a picture of the object's temperature (thermal image).
Many infrared cameras also include a visible light camera that automatically captures a standard digital image each time the trigger is pulled. Blending these images makes it easier to correlate problem areas in the infrared image with the actual equipment or area you are inspecting.
Thermal-daylight funsion
A thermal - daylight fusion camera combines the visible light image with the infrared thermal image and aligns it pixel-for-pixel. You can vary the intensity of the visible and infrared images to more clearly see problems in the infrared image or to locate problems in the visible light image. This technology is critical for applications ranging from building inspections to moisture surveys.
In addition to basic thermal imaging capabilities, you can find infrared cameras with a variety of additional features that automate functions, allow voice annotation, enhance resolution, record and stream image video, and support analysis and reporting.