Thermal infrared imagers are detector and lens combinations that give a visual representation of infrared energy emitted by all objects above 0 k. In other words thermal imagers let you “see” heat. Depending on the sophistication of your system thermography is capable of providing very detailed images of situations invisible to the naked eye.Thermal images cannot see through walls, although you can gather much information about the inside of the wall as well as what is happening on the other side of the wall. For example you would not be able to see people and plants involved in an illegal indoor growing operation from the outside of the building. You would be able to see and monitor the heat escaping from the building that would be a telltale sign of an illicit growing operation. Click here for legal cases involving thermal infrared for narcotics detection

You would also be able to see things like studs inside the walls, or damaged insulation in roofing applications. You cannot hide from thermal imaging by covering yourself in mud to blend in like that movie tough guy. This might work momentarily, but infrared “heat” energy transfers well when objects are touching. Your body heat would quickly warm your camouflage resulting in a thermal image. We hope that dispels a few of the most common questions regarding infrared energy. Thermal imagers in Hollywood and in real life are very different. The remainder of this paper will focus on the real life thermal imagers and how they work.

Thermal energy is transmitted in the infrared wavelength ( 1 micron to 100 microns ). You can see by the image above that thermal energy is closely related to visible light in that it travels in a wave. The human eye can only see the narrow middle band of visible light that encompasses all the colors of light in the rainbow. Thermal infrared imagers translate the energy transmitted in the infrared wavelength into data that can be processed into a visible light spectrum video display. Visible light is dependent on a light source ( the sun or artificial ) reflecting off an object to be received by our eyes. Remember, all objects above 0 degrees Kelvin emit thermal infrared energy so thermal imagers can passively see all objects regardless of ambient light. This can give you an enormous advantage. Thermal infrared imaging performs in a wider range of environments than other night vision technologies. Additionally, IR devices can serve your inspection needs at night or in broad daylight.

The image on the left shows two adults and a child through an infrared thermal imager. After a minute of sitting on the couch the thermal infrared energy of the people is transferred and stored in the couch until they get up. The image on the right illustrates the fact that all objects radiate heat. The heat from their bodies that transferred to the couch is now being emitted from the couch and displayed on a thermal imaging device. No visual light technology can record this type of data. The properties of heat transmission are more than an interesting novelty, this information can prove useful in a variety of applications. Law enforcement applications include criminal tracking, land/airborne surveillance, drug facility detection, or vehicles which have been recently operated all from a safe distance, industrial users can detect flaws in manufacturing or weakened insulators, fire safety professionals can detect full vs. empty flammable storage containers, and forestry workers can easily track game or poachers. Other applications include non destructive testing, process control, predictive/preventative maintenance, building/factory diagnostics, energy audits, roofing/insulation inspection, insurance fraud prevention, veterinary/human medical imaging, border patrol, remote security monitoring, and many more applications being discovered.

Thermal infrared imagers come in different configurations to suit your specific needs. Some imagers are designed to give you actual temperature measurement of the scene along with a color video representation. This type of imager is called “radiometric” and is used mostly for industrial ( predictive maintenance, process control, R&D ) and medical ( human & veterinary ) applications. Other imagers are designed primarily for surveillance and / or target acquisition environments. These units can be either hand held or fixed mount remote installations. The chief differences in surveillance units is going to be the optical components and the resolution of the imager. High end units for surveillance and target acquisition scenarios are capable of human detection at over 1 mile and vehicle detection at over 5 miles. Another type of detector is the aerial surveillance mounted thermal imager. These units are mounted to aircraft in gyro stabilized all weather housings. Typically they are remote controlled and are either alone or paired with a CCD TV camera. Primarily these units are used by law enforcement agencies and electronic news gathering teams.

Contact SPI for affordable, low cost professional assistance with any of the following:

-Thermal FLIR and multi sensor Rifle Scopes (including used low cost models)
-sensor blending and image fusion up to 10 channels
-long range laser cameras, HD CMOS & thermal imaging detectors cores & cameras
-long range HD visible and thermal superzoom telephoto continuous zoom optics
-mwir ultra extreme long range thermal Flir thermal infrared imaging cameras
-lwir long range continuous zoom uncooled thermal Flir infrared imaging cameras
-cmos night vision cameras and sensors
-Image fusion, Sensor fusion Image blending
-Image stabilization, gyro/mems/motors for payloads, turrets, balls & Gimbals
-llltv cameras and sensors, lenses/optics from visible, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR to VLWIR
-color low light level night vision sensors and camera modules, cores and engines
-Infrared Cameras (scientific, military, R&D and maintenance models)
-Thermal Imager Systems (law enforcement and military thermal imaging models)
-Thermal Pan Tilt Zoom (thermal PTZ) Multi-Sensor Systems (custom and COTS solutions)
-Night Vision (image intensified products)
-Night Vision (EMCCD, iccd, i2 products)
-ebaps isie-11 cameras
-electronic digital image intensifiers
-tubeless image intensifiers
-tube image intensifiers
-custom head mounted, hands free goggles, weapon sights, Dve, mobile,marine and airborne platforms
-Digital night vision goggles DNVG
-color night vision goggles
-Scmos and CMOS custom sensor integration and customization
-ingrated lasers visible and infrared from visible to SWIR
–SWIR ingaas cameras and sensors
-image stabilization, custom gimbals, payloads, turrets from 2 to 5 axis
-drone, Uav, Uav, UAS, suas cameras, STUAS UAV detectors, sensors and imagers
-Systems Integration, custom electro optics / optronics
-Custom Design and Manufacturing
-Kitting Assemblies and Contract Logistics
-VIS/SWIR
-DNVS
-DNVG
-NVG
-DI2
-EI2
-TE-Photocathode
-Digital UXGA Low Light Level
-4K imaging
-Ultra Long Range zoom continuous, DFOV, TFOV optics and Lenses
-HD Microdisplay OLED, HMD, Headmounted optics
-Night vision systems/goggles/weapon sights/rifle mounted scopes/Clip on-Inline sights/Binoculars/cameras/lasers/sensors
-ISR/C4ISR/EOIR/RSTA/UHD MWIR/HOT MCT/HD COOLED ADVANCED FLIR’S

Related – 3G third generation ACGU Australia, Canada, Great Britain, United States AFRICOM U.S. Africa Command ABIED Air-borne IED ANSF Afghan National Security Forces AOR area of responsibility AOD Acquisition Oversight Division AQI al Qaeda in Iraq ATEC Army Test and Evaluation Command AtN JIEDDO LOO: Attack the Network CAC Capabilities Acquisition Center CCMS counter-countermeasures CDMA Code Division Multiple Access CENTCOM U.S. Central Command CF Coalition Forces C-IED Counter Improvised Explosive Device CITP Counter-IED Targeting Program CJTF Combined Joint Task Force C-MATT C-IED Mobile Assistance Training Teams COCOMs Combatant Commands COE Center of Excellence COIC Counter–IED Operations Integration Center COIN Counterinsurgency COMINT Communications Intelligence CONUS Continental United States CREW Counter Radio Controlled IED Electronic Warfare CSG Competitive Strategies Group CTC Combat Training Center CVRJ Combined Vehicle Radio Jammer CW command wire CWIED Command Wire IED DARPA Defense Advanced Research Project Agency DCG Device Coordination Group DFFC Directionally Focused Fragmentation Charge DHS Department of Homeland Security DIA Defense Intelligence Agency DoD Department of Defense DoJ Department of Justice DSTAG Defense Science and Technology Advisory Group DtD JIEDDO LOO: Defeat the Device DTMF Dual Tone Multi-Frequency ECP Entry Control Point EFP Explosively Formed Projectile ELINT Electronic Intelligence ELN National Liberation Army EO electro-optical EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal EUCOM U.S. European Command FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia FEF Fusion Exploitation Framework FOB forward operating base FVEY Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand

PBIED Person-Borne IED P-FCB Protection Functional Capabilities Board PIR passive infrared (type of switch) RC regional command RC remote control RC-East Regional Command-East, Afghanistan RC-South Regional Command-South Afghanistan RCIED Radio-controlled IED RCOS Route Clearance Optics Suite RF radio frequency RFI request for information RFS request for support RDT&E Research Development Testing and Evaluation S&T Science and Technology SDA Social Dynamic Analysis Services U.S. Military Services SIC/CPC Strategic Influence and Cultural Political Cell SIED Suicide IED SIGINT Signals Intelligence SIMS Systems Integration and Modeling and Simulation SIPR Secret Internet Protocol Router SOCOM U.S. Special Operations Command SPARK Self Protection Adaptive Roller Kit SVBIED Suicide Vehicle-Borne IED SVIED Suicide Vest IED T3 Transitions, transfers, and terminations TEDAC Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center TRID Technology Requirements and Integration Division TSE Tactical Site Exploitation TtF JIEDDO LOO: Train the Force TTPs tactics, techniques, and procedures UBE unknown bulk explosive UBIED Underbelly IED UHF ultra high frequency ULFA United Liberation Front of Assam USF-I U.S. Forces Iraq USFOR-A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan UVIED Under Vehicle IED VBIED Vehicle-Borne IED VOIED Victim-Operated IED (switch) VOSS Vehicle Optics Sensor System WBIED Water-Borne IED WIT Weapons Intelligence Teams WTI Weapons Technical Intelligence YPG Yuma Proving Ground

GAO Government Accountability Office GCTF Global Counter Terrorism Force GIRoA Government of the Islamic State of Afghanistan GWOT Global War on Terrorism HME homemade explosive HMDS Husky Mounted Detection System HMMWV Highly Mobile Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle HOA Horn of Africa HSTLs Home Station Training Lanes HUMINT Human Intelligence I2C IEDD Integration Cell IED Improvised Explosive Device IEDD IED Defeat IK Imirat Kaukaz IR Infra Red IRAM Improvised Rocket Assisted Mortar ISAF International Security Assistance Force ISF Iraqi Security Forces JAM Jaysh al Mahdi JATAC Joint Asymmetric Threat Awareness and C-IED JCAAMP Joint IED Defeat Capability Approval and Acquisition Management Process JCAST JIEDDO COIC Analytical Support Team JCB Joint Capabilities Board JCOE JIEDDO: Joint Center of Excellence JEMS JIEDDO Enterprise Management System JFCOM U.S. Joint Forces Command JIEDDF Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund JIEDDO Joint IED Defeat Organization JMRC Joint Multinational Readiness Center JOLLER Joint IED Neutralize Roller JROC Joint Requirements Oversight Council JROCM JROC Memorandum JTB JIEDDO Test Board JTCOIC Joint Training Center IED Operations Center JTF Joint Task Force LVBIED Large Vehicle-Borne IED LOO Line of Operation MCFI Multinational Coalition Forces-Iraq MCIT Mobile C-IED Interactive Trainer MILF Moro Islamic Liberation Front MNF-I Multi-National Forces Iraq MRAP Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (vehicle) NDA CLT Network Dynamic Analysis Comprehensive Look Team NORTHCOM U.S. Northern Command NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NTC National Training Center OEF Operation Enduring Freedom OCO Overseas Contingency Operations OPFOR Opposing Forces PACOM U.S. Pacific Command