Uses of Thermal Imaging Cameras
The science and technology of thermography, or thermal imaging, continues to expand, but already there is a wide array of uses for thermal imaging cameras. Thermal imaging is a branch of technology that uses wavelengths related to heat to create images within a given area. Whereas photography uses wavelengths related to ambient and artificial light to process images, thermal imaging cameras process images through relative amounts of heat, and thus do not require light to work.
Night Vision
One of the most well-known uses of thermal imaging cameras is for night vision. The camera detects heat radiated by human bodies, animals, machines and other heat sources, which, in turn, returns an image that reflects the size, shape and intensity of the heat source. Military operations typically use night vision to direct their efforts when trying to navigate nighttime terrain without being detected. Peacetime uses for night vision include search-and-rescue operations when rescuers are trying to locate a potentially nonresponsive victim in the dark.
Maintenance
Companies use thermal imaging to determine whether machines or structures are performing as well as expected or to determine where the weaknesses are. Because the camera detects heat, an image that shows excessive heat in a given part of a machine may indicate that a part needs repair or replacement. Heat leaking out of a given structure in places might indicate a gap or other kind of weakness that may need to be addressed.
Human Body Anomalies
If a person is ill and feverish, her body will produce more heat in its attempt to fight off infection, and a camera may be able to pinpoint the source of the infection. Also, if there is the presence of an abnormal object in the human body, whether it be a swallowed object or something the person is attempting to smuggle, the disparity in the heat given off by the object versus the body's normal tissue temperature will show up in the image returned by the camera.
Firefighting
In a case where a structure may or may not be on fire, and firefighters need to pinpoint the source and potentially dangerous areas without the presence of flames or smoke, thermal imaging cameras can detect the source and intensity of the fire, which can make the firefighters' job more efficient and safer.
Finding Hidden Objects
Some things can be seen by the naked eye and others cannot. If law enforcement, for instance, suspects an illegal drug manufacturing operation (a meth lab, for instance), officers can train their cameras on a specific area to detect if there are heat images that may indicate the heat consistent with laboratory operations. Similarly, if a person is being imprisoned or hidden, or a body buried to hide evidence, thermal imaging cameras can detect the presence of a live or decomposing body through the barriers meant to hide them.
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