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Other Thermal Imaging/Night vision

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by shah, 18 Oct 2013.

  1. shah

    shah Minimodder

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    Hi All,

    I am not sure if anyone can help with this but here it is.

    I am after a thermal imaging/night vision device. Which is better?
    It can be with or without a camera. Anyone has personal experience of such a device? I have looked online but they are very expensive. Any recomendation?

    Thanks a lot.
    Shah.
     
  2. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Define 'better.' Thermal imaging cameras let you see heat, regardless of light levels; night-vision cameras allow you to see objects when it's dark. They're two different tools for two different jobs.

    If all you want to do is see things in the dark, buy a night-vision camera. A thermal imaging camera is significantly lower resolution, there's barely such thing as an entry-level version (aside from a Bluetooth-connected strip-based module that launched on Kickstarter last year, and a DIY thing I saw a while back which takes about an hour to scan an object) and they're typically short range.

    As for night-vision devices themselves, there are multiple options. The cheapest on the market are basically just webcams with the IR filters removed - Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Collector's Edition came with one of these as its tchotchky. These work by recording IR rather than visible light, then using an IR emitter (a ring of cheap LEDs, in the Cod:MW2 example) to light up the area just like a torch would. Advantage: cheap. Disadvantage: it's the same as using a torch, but the beam is invisible - so you've got range problems. Anything further away than a weedy torch-beam would reach and you're not going to see it.

    That leaves you with light amplification devices. These are also known as light intensification, image amplification, image intensification - whatever. These work by taking whatever tiny little amount of light there is and vastly increasing it. They're what the military use - you don't want an IR emitter if you're being stealthy, 'cos you'll show up like a flamin' spotlight if anyone else is using an IR-sensitive camera. Advantages include *incredible* image quality on latest-generation tubes and the ability to make the most of even the tiniest bit of light - forget moonlight, starlight is enough. Disadvantages are they don't work in complete darkness, can typically be broken if you're stupid enough to point them at car headlights or something when they're cranked up to maximum sensitivity, and they're bloody expensive.

    There are also hybrid devices, which can switch between passive light amplification and active IR modes. Best of both worlds, but by god you'll pay through the nose for it.

    Or, y'know, buy a torch.
     
  3. shah

    shah Minimodder

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    Hi Gareth,

    Thanks for the reply.

    Well the aim is to look through vegetation (similar to sugar can crop etc). Range of less than 200m (not sure what is considered long range).
    The thing I liked about thermal imaging is that it can see the heat signature even though the resolution is quite low.

    Buying a torch is not going to help!
     
  4. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    When you say 'through,' how do you mean: like, through 200m of rowed sugar canes? You're going to struggle with any solution, there: nothing will make the sugar cane transparent. The best bet would be to use a thermal imaging camera angled *above* the crop - so it's looking down from above, rather than through.

    It would be easier to suggest solutions if you described what you're trying to achieve, however. Pest monitoring in a field of crops?
     
  5. shah

    shah Minimodder

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    Not quite!!!

    Well the main purpose will be survillence. My family was robbed and the house is in the middle of the fields. It will be used to detect any intruders well before they have reached the perimeter. The conventional security systems won't work as the area is very big.

    I have thought about a quadcopter with the camera attached to it but don't think its praticle.
     
  6. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Right. Well, you don't want a thermal imaging camera - unless you're planning to hire someone to watch the screen 24/7. Sounds like what you need are a bunch of passive infra-red sensors, which will trigger an audible in-house alert when a moving warm body is detected. You should be able to easily blanket the grounds in PIR triggers for a fraction of the cost of a thermal camera.
     
  7. Somer_Himpson

    Somer_Himpson What's a Dremel?

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    Or bear traps
     
    The_Crapman likes this.
  8. shah

    shah Minimodder

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    Well we do have watchmen but your passive infra-red sensor idea sounds good. Any recommendations?

    Edit: What are the ranges of these sensors?
     

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