Thermal imaging is essential nowadays as it is being adopted in a growing number of applications of security and surveillance.
While the use of an infrared (IR) camera was once the privilege of border guards and other official security related organizations, the power of thermal imaging is now accessible and usable in numerous different situations:
By firefighters:
Firefighters have been using thermal cameras for years as it allows them to see in absolute darkness, through smoke, and to detect hot spots in floors, walls and ceilings. The ability to see through the smoke with an infrared camera contributes to secure sites and to help saving lives.
- Research for victims (SAR)
- Fire detection
- Light or residual fire
- Hot spot after extinguishing an attic or chimney fire
- When working for a traffic accident at night in the field, to detect any body ejected from the road
- To locate a victim from the rubble
Firefighters are familiar with the benefits of thermal cameras; a growing number of them are relying on their powerful functions to facilitate their work, improving the efficiency and speed of interventions during emergency situations.
By Sea Rescue units:
A person that has fallen overboard must at all costs be recovered as soon as possible to be rescued. Not only can he float away from the vessel but the time spent in water dramatically increases the risk of hypothermia, which is a mortal danger at sea. Through thermal imaging, the person in distress can be quickly located and pulled out of water.
By the police or customs officials for night operation:
Thermal imaging is also used by police and other services for security and surveillance operations. It allows to spot, locate and track suspects in total darkness. Thanks to infrared camera, suspects can not hide in the bushes or in the shade because their heat signature is easily visible on the image. Moreover, thermal imaging helps securing places of intervention for police and security forces by increasing the knowledge of the field and by locating threats present in the operational area.
For industrial facilities:
Nuclear plants, petrochemical installations, warehouses, ports … all these areas are exposed to several dangers, including theft, requiring to take security measures in order to prevent them. Surveillance is highly simplified and enhanced by using infrared cameras that reveal threats hidden in the darkness, concealed by adverse weather, and veiled by dust, fog or smoke. Thermal imaging allows to easily expose the factors that could trouble sites’ security.
OPTRIS PI 640
The thermal imager Optris ® PI 640 together with its miniature embedded computer is the smallest measuring VGA infrared camera worldwide. With an optical resolution of 640×480 pixels, the new PI 640 provides pin-sharp radiometric pictures and videos in real-time.
Its compact dimensions of only 46x56x90 mm and low weight of 320 grams (lens incl.), it is the ideal solution for aerial drones applications.
Aerial thermal imaging solutions with drones
With these qualities, the Optris® IP 640 camera can be embedded on our models:
- ALG1000 of AltiGator (S1, S2 and S3 certified in France): total takeoff weight <4 kg. Indicative flight time of 17 minutes.
- ALG760 (variant of the ALG750). Compact and designed for rescue services at sea and in the mountains. Take-off weight of about 4 kg. Indicative flight time of 24 min (30 min with a lighter thermal camera like the Tamarisk).
- OnyxStar FOX-C8 (S1 and S2 certified in France): total takeoff weight <5 kg. Indicative flight time of 24 minutes.
- OnyxStar FOX-C8HD (S1 and S2 certified in France): total takeoff weight of 7.5 kg. Indicative flight time 33 minutes.
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