Thermal imaging cameras are widely used for different purposes. Everyone knows about ordinary cameras and their capability of taking pictures. There is a major difference between thermal and ordinary cameras. Where we can’t see any object with our naked eye or ordinary cameras, thermal imaging can detect them.
However, many of us are using thermal imaging cameras or have used it for detecting objects. But you know, what is a thermal imaging camera? How does it work, actually? What’s the principle of thermal cameras? Well, we’re eager to let you know about these queries.
What Is Thermal Imaging Camera?
If we simply want to state that thermal imaging camera is nothing but a thermal detector that can sense a tiny difference in heat or temperature. However, it can register the infrared radiation from objects to create an electronic image depending on the heat differences.
Whereas, thermal imaging cameras come with different shapes. The large devices come with the wheel to roam around, some others require two hands to control, and lastly the ergonomic thermal imaging cameras that are handheld and you can control it by the trigger to capture the image.
Though all the thermal imaging cameras come with an infrared sensor to detect the infrared radiation, many others have a visual light lens to create images for more context and details to the infrared images. Besides, the majority of thermal cameras provide an instant visualization of pictures where some others instantly send the pictures to the network.
Thermal Imaging Camera Working Principle
The basic definition of a camera is to create pictures and the thermal imaging cameras also do the same but the working principle is different from ordinary cameras. So, what is it? Thermal imaging cameras can recognize and detect different levels of infrared radiation. Every object emits different kinds of infrared radiation and thermal cameras are one of the ways to transfer the heat.
Suppose, you place your hand over some hot coals and the coals are radiating ton of infrared radiation which is transferring to your hand. The infrared can’t be seen with our eyes. But thermal cameras can detect those radiations and convert them to image for visual display.
How Thermal Imaging Camera Work?
Humans and other creatures are blessed with visible light where it holds a little part in the electromagnetic spectrum. If you ever look at the spectrum graph, you’ll see that infrared radiation is produced by heat, takes more space in that spectrum.
So, thermal imaging cameras are such devices that can capture and evaluate those radiations which are absorbed, reflected, and even emitted. The important thing is that we can’t see those radiations with our naked eyes or ordinary cameras. Let’s look at the following steps how thermal cameras work:
- While pointing the thermal camera’s lens to any object, the lens will focus on the radiated light which is emitted by the objects. Then infrared detectors scan the focused light through a phased array.
- After that, the detectors elements create a thermogram using a detailed temperature pattern in one-thirtieth of a second. However, the information is gathered from many points in the detector’s point of view.
- The thermogram is converted to electrical impulses which are then sent to a circuit board with a chip for translating the information into usable data for displaying in camera.
- The last thing is to create an image of various colors according to the heat differences. And the signal processing unit does the rest by sending infrared information to the display.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve discussed some hot topics in this article. However, thermal imaging cameras are familiar with people for multiple advantages. So, some frequent questions arise to know more about thermal imaging cameras.
How far can thermal cameras see?
While purchasing thermal cameras, it’s a common question that we ask. They can see the sun which is more than 146 million kilometers away from the earth but it doesn’t mean that they can detect threats at this distance.
Can thermal imaging cameras see-through water?
Whether thermal imaging cameras can see through many objects but they can’t see through the water as infrared light can be reflected over the surface.
Does aluminum foil block thermal imaging?
The materials which are electrically conductive, they can block thermal imaging. Because the higher the conductivity, the more the blocking. So, Aluminum foil blocks both low and high level of the infrared light.
Final Thought
Have you got a clear idea of what is thermal imaging camera and its working principle? Hopefully, the precise guide has watered into your mind about thermal cameras visualization. We can’t ignore the importance of thermal imaging cameras for enormous purposes in environments. They can be used in a wide range of tasks for detecting faults to avoid any danger or to save money and time.
These cameras have made our life easy with their quick settings and easy uses. However, they are also capable of performing their duties in high-risk environments while any emergency takes place. The firefighter also uses this technology to detect the condition inside.
