Chris Garden, UK Director of Sales for DVTEL wants to debunk the myths around thermal cameras.
Thermographic cameras were once the stuff of science fiction but have long since been science fact. Many will be familiar, for example, with how thermal imaging has been used for the last 20 years by the emergency services to detect heat sources within collapsed buildings or snowfalls to determine signs of life, and to that end the technology appears to have found its niche.
Thermographic cameras, however, have also long since been the favourite of the military, to identify targets in total darkness. They detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum to produce images of that radiation (called ‘thermograms’). As such it is possible to see with or without visible illumination because infrared radiation is emitted by all objects above absolute zero. But despite the obvious commercial applications, its military pedigree has almost acted as a barrier to wider acceptance. A myth has been created that suggests that thermal cameras are only for military applications, and this has impacted its wider acceptance for more ‘mainstream’ security. That is not the only misconception: it has also been suggested that thermal imaging only works at night, is only of use for protecting large perimeters, and that a thermal camera cannot be used on a network where ‘traditional’ cameras are deployed. There is also the myth that such technology is cost prohibitive.
A new reality
The reality is somewhat different. There is no question that thermal cameras work in total darkness, but the reality is that thermal imaging provides a consistent image, 24 hours, regardless of the lighting. They are not affected by bright lights, and are capable of penetrating adverse weather as well as smoke and dust. It is true also that thermal cameras are used in the military, but it would be wrong to think that the technology is of use to the military alone. Thermal cameras have a myriad of commercial applications, to create ‘virtual’ perimeters for any size of site, from car dealerships and sports stadia, to factory premises and warehouse and distribution centres. And they are certainly not restricted only for use on the largest perimeters; thermal imaging can be applied anywhere where lighting conditions are an issue, such as garages, loading bays or alleyways. To suggest that to use a thermal camera, the entire ‘system’ must be thermal is another nonsense. Thanks to the wonders of IP, thermal cameras can be added to any networked security system, allowing them to be used as part of a new install or retro-fitted to an installation.
Since thermal cameras ‘see’ heat signature, they make the perfect companion for video analytics. The high contrast between human and background, and the fact that the image is not affected by lighting, sun glare, and reflections, results a highly accurate Probability Of Detection (POD) and a very low false alarm rate (FAR) which are the essence of every detection system. Add to that a low bandwidth requirement, the elimination of lighting altogether and you end up with a low initial cost and low operating cost.
Talking of costs, the biggest myth of all, of course, is that the cost of thermal cameras makes their use prohibitive in all but the largest applications, where budget is not an issue. Perhaps that has been true, but due to proprietary advances in manufacturing, the new generation of ioimage thermal security cameras from DVTEL is able to deliver exceptional performance at an affordable price. And with the use of an advanced, military grade analytics algorithm, they bring a new level of detection in some of the most challenging environments.
