May | 2017 | ITherml Technology

Top Five Myths of Thermal Night Vision

There are plenty of myths and rumors surrounding Thermal Night Vision, as it is relatively rare and new to the open market. We’ve gathered five of the most common misconceptions here.

Myth 1. Thermal Imagers are for Military and Law Enforcement members only, it is illegal for civilians to own these devices:

I’ve heard this from all kinds of people. That you shouldn’t even ask for night vision or thermal kit; no one will sell it to you because unless you’re in the armed forces you couldn’t possibly have a legitimate use for it. This is a little narrow-minded, but more importantly its just plain not-true. Civilians in the United States and Canada can certainly buy thermal night vision. There may be restrictions on high frequency models and weapon mounted units, and there is a dedicated line for Law Enforcement, but there is still a wide range of thermal imagers available for the general public. Thermal technology has applications well outside the military, such a search-and-rescue, firefighting, outdoor adventure, or pest control.

Myth 2. All Night vision looks the same, washed out green:

Part of this comes from confusion between night vision devices that are “infrared assisted” and thermal devices that are “Forward Looking InfraRed” Standard night vision devices amplify existing light but are “infrared sensitive” and see infrared light like a flashlight. They see existing visible light, and use IR beacons and illuminators as a light source that only broadcasts to the device. This is not the same as a thermal camera that detects infrared energy signatures! Forward Looking InfraRed isn’t looking at light waves in the same way. Instead it outputs according to internal heat signatures, which creates a high contrast black and white image. Instead of everything being the same green tone but brighter, we separate out different aspects of an image into different brightnesses which effectively highlights anything warm or cool in the scene.

Myth 3. Thermal Night Vision can only be used at night:

The image intensifier tubes in conventional night vision will over expose in daylight, and can actually overheat and damage themselves if hit with bright light like the streetlight in Iraq you see here. This leads to expensive additions like auto-gating so that a image intensifier will shut itself down upon exposure to damaging daylight or bright flashlights. We have none of these problems. In daytime it reads heat exactly the way it would in the dark. The thermal information gathered cannot be “over-exposed” and its highlighting ability is still very valuable in daylight. A target in camouflage or far out will still emit heat that the device will pick up, regardless of whether the sun it out.

Myth 4. Thermal imaging can be applied to any picture or video. I even have it on my phone!

That rainbow color scheme we know from the Predator movies shows up all over the place. Its a super popular filter for youtube videos or phone camera programs. With the varying layers of red hot and blue cold it looks pretty convincing. But it is in no way a real thermal image. Instead the program just interprets regular color differences and layers a rainbow gradient over them, making a “fake” type of image. No heat information is being recorded or presented when you apply that, its just some interesting colors over a standard photo. With a fake image parts of a face will look cold and other parts will look hot, even though its all the same skin. Also, try using that cellphone feature at night and you’ll see immediately how that program needs light to do anything.

Myth 5. Thermal Night Vision technology is useless in warm climates. When everything is hot it can’t see anything!

Thermal night vision is based around the idea that different things emit different amounts of radiation. So its true that when things are the same temperature they will appear as the same tone. I’ve interview soldiers who’ve returned from using Thermal Night Vision in Afghanistan, and sure enough there are times of day when the ground is the same temperature as body heat. In those conditions, Thermal Night Vision can be tricky, but that is only for fifteen minutes a day in a hostile environment. You can still use thermal night vision units in warm locales by changing your pallets to change how the camera displays existing temperature difference. Choosing white-hot or black-hot can help differentiate warm and cool objects, or the Instalert setting which will highlight the hottest objects in the scene. There are three levels of Instalert, where you might choose the most sensitive for a cool environment and the least sensitive for a warm one.

This article comes from scoutbasecamp edit released

Launch new range of thermal imaging core

We have unveiled their new thermal imaging core, ultra-low-power and high shock-resistant, OEM thermal imaging modules.

User-specific overlays and boresight adjustable reticules add to the feature set. Thermal imaging cores are available with patented solid state, shutterless XTi ‘Always On–Never Blind’ Technology.

Thermal imaging core are employed in numerous well known and high-end third party products including UAVs, thermal weapon sights, man-portable and long-range fixed surveillance devices, unattended ground sensors, driver aids, enhanced vision systems for aircraft and many other global products.

The thermal imaging core range of long-wave thermal imaging cores is available in 384×288 and 640×480 resolution modules with a number of pixel pitch and lens options.

This article comes from securitynewsdesk edit released

The Airsoft Thermal Binocular to Wear Over Glasses

Designed specifically for airsoft, these roomy and affordable thermal binocular are perfect for glasses wearers. The Lancer Tactical thermal binocular have slanted vents to keep BB’s out and prevent the airsoft thermal binocular from fogging up. The straps are fully adjustable to fit young newbies or old pros, and even larger-framed eyeglasses can be worn underneath with comfort.

If there’s any downside to the thermal binocular, it’s more of of a flaw of military-style thermal binocular in general, which is the lack of protection to the mouth area. The best way to address this is by wearing a mesh mask underneath. Wraps like shemaghs or balaclavas not only lack the full protection of mesh masks, but also trap the warm heat of your breath, sending it upwards through the vents in your thermal binocular, and greatly increasing the chances of fog.

The mask offers full face protection and unmatched peripheral vision. It’s marketed as a paintball mask, but is well-suited for airsoft, and proves a very comfortable fit over any style of eyeglasses. The low visor profile fits well under helmets and the lens (interchangable) has a true anti-fog coating. When you’re wearing these thermal binocular over your eyeglasses, the vent layout keep them totally clear, but they’re also multi-directional, making communication with your teammates easier by carrying your voice farther (also known as scream venting).

One of the downsides of using other paintball masks for airsoft is the inability to get a good cheek weld to aim down your rifle’s sights, but it has a contained lower profile and ditches the large sun visor. This minimal design lets you get closer to your optic, and doesn’t block your vision when looking through the top of your lens, so you can still see down the rail of your AEG.

High-quality ballistic eye thermal binocular, and many of their models are the preferred choice for airsoft players. They’re the only thermal binocular authorized by the US Army for use over prescription eyewear, making them more than suitable to use as OTG airsoft thermal binocular. Like others in the list, they also have good ventilation, and “ClearZone” lens coatings to keep from fogging. While the Land Ops are designed to fit over most sizes of glasses, any glasses wider than 5.5″ across might cause the arms to press into your temples, so measure the glasses you plan to wear underneath.

Similar to the above, the thermal binocular is also made for paintball, so the same pro/cons apply. These are a little easier on the wallet, and still have lots of high-quality features, like a variable-thickness lens to avoid distortion, and cutouts in the temple area of the foam to allow room for the arms of your glasses. As if paintball masks weren’t comfortable enough for glasses wearers, these temple cutouts really prevent any pressure on the sides of your head, meaning you can run comfortably all day. Lastly, the dual lens has been thermally cured, and the vents are really well-designed – meaning fog is coming no where near your face or your eye glasses.

The thermal binocular come in a variety of lens colors and tints, and have a spacious interior to wear over smaller eye glasses. They probably offer the least amount of vertical coverage when compared to the other airsoft thermal binocular in the list, but if you already have a mesh facemask and are looking for something shorter to fit between the mask and your helmet, these might be perfect for you. The interchangeable lenses stay in the frame snugly, but are easy enough to remove to switch to a darker lens or to clean after a match. These no-frills thermal binocular are suited towards players with small to medium faces, and they’re built tough for a modest price tag.

This article comes from otg-goggles edit released

Why thermal is the better night vision

The Thermal Night Vision is the ideal scope for hunting at night because it detects heat energy, instead of light. The body heat of target animals glows bright through the R-Series scope while you remain hidden in the dark. Conventional image intensified (I2) night vision scopes are more limited because they require illumination from moonlight or other sources. Plus they can’t reveal what’s hiding in shadows or in low-contrast environments the way thermal can.

Easy-to-use, Rugged Design

The Thermal Night Vision was built for moments when you have to act fast. With large, glove-friendly buttons and an intuitive menu, you can quickly set reticle settings, zoom, and polarity palettes in three clicks or less. An internal shock reduction system (SRS-M) is qualified for a MSR semi-automatic platform, up to .30 Cal. Plus, the durable, water-resistant casing can be submerged in up to three feet of water. Day or night, hot or cold, clear or stormy, whatever the conditions, the R-Series will deliver.

The Thermal Night Vision Difference

We control the technology that’s key to our products thermal performance. In producing the Thermal Night Vision, we leveraged our vast experience designing military-grade thermal imagers that have to be durable, precise, and reliable.

This article comes from ultimatenightvision edit released

Thermal Imaging Core – For Security & Surveillance

We nnounce our latest thermal imaging core. It’s designed for volume capable of integrating uncooled FPAs into their own cameras.

It has simplified the process by offering a thermal sub-assembly that generates calibrated CMOS video out, using industry-standard interfaces. Because the product is calibrated for TEC-less operation, no longer have to develop their own elaborate factory calibration equipment or processes. Thermal imaging core is a thermal ‘engine’ developed to operate on standard imaging device power and communication protocols.

Thermal imaging core is based on 17µ pitch Vandium Oxide (VOx) 640×512 or 336×256 FPAs and offers frame rates of 9Hz and up to 60Hz. Optimized for size, weight and power (SWaP), thermal imaging core has a form factor of 22 mm x 22 mm x 6 mm, a mass of less than five grams, and depending on the configuration, uses less than 300mW of power.

Thermal imaging core is an innovative solution for manufacturers intent on using their own image processing, packaging and optical technologies. It represents ongoing leadership in developing technologies that give our customers greater flexibility, while reducing up front manufacturing costs.

This article comes from professionalsecurity edit released

Smart Thermal Network Cameras with Video Analytics

Smart thermal network cameras with embedded video analytics powered by a high degree of video processing. Thermal network cameras act like a burglar alarm for the outdoors, triggering alarms when breaches occur, preventing crime, vandalism and disruptions with very low nuisance alerts and high detection accuracy, providing crisp, clear video day and night.

Video Processing – The Key for Thermal Network Cameras in the Outdoors

Video processing powers thermal network cameras unique video analytics features:

1. Electronic stabilization to correct for pole sway

2. Geo-registration to ignore small animals, blowing trash and outdoor movement while detecting people all the time

3. Geospatial detection zones based on target size, speed, and direction

4. A very clear thermal image in the dark, bright sun, humidity, or bad weather

5. Hands-free PTZ steering to zoom and follow targets for more detail

6. Targets projected onto a sitemap for real-time situational awareness.

7. Reducing Infrastructure Lowers Costs for Thermal Cameras

Solar and wireless options and long-range thermal camera detection eliminate most of the construction costs once needed for video systems, making the NEMA 4X thermal network cameras the most affordable solution for perimeter security and outdoor area protection.

This article comes from sightlogix edit released

Where and what do I buy thermal binoculars?

A really nice thermal binoculars that can tell the difference between a moose and a man at 800yds in a snowstorm.

Fire departments and people who insulate homes use thermal monoculars to see where the hot spots are in a house fire, or, tell where heat is leaking out. They typically start around $9800 for the cheap ones and $20,000 for a decent one that can take some abuse.

Thermal binoculars are much much cheaper. They are rated at Generation 1, 2, 3, 4 , and 5. Generation 1 is similar to 1970’s Vietnam vintage technology and run between $200-$300 – and most models are cheapo Russian or China stuff that sucks out loud. These things require an Infra Red flood lamp to work decent.

That said. You say it is just something to have. Try this – go borrow a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR) – a digital camera where you can adjust the ISO speed and how long the camera iris stays open. When you set such a camera to ISO 400 or faster, with the iris speed set at 2 seconds or more – when pointed at a big, dark area – the image comes out like nightvision. Except it is in color rather than green. (( I do allot of low light photography (aurora) and I design CCTV security systems. )) This works – and when you crank the DSLR up to ISO 1800 or 3200 you can drop the speed down to 1 or .5 seconds and you can easily make out a fox that is 400 yards away in near total darkness.

This camera trick – and even expensive thermal binoculars scopes – all requrie some sort of light to work. Starlight is ok – moonlight is awesome. A dark rainy night you won’t get squat unless you have an IR Illuminator.

This article comes from yahoo website edit released

Car Thermal Night Vision

Night Vision Applications

Surveys show that the distance or time spent driving during the night takes up only 28% of total driving; however, the death rate caused by accidents occurring during night during night driving takes up 55% of the whole death rate.

With concerns for the safety of lives, we have recently launched a new thermal night vision system for night driving, which greatly enhances the safety of night driving, establishing another milestone for night driving safety technology.

Easy to Use

By simply turning on the power, the thermal night vision system will start up. With the LCD display, drivers can see obstacles 300 meters away, so the driver can recognize the road, pedestrians, motorcyclist and other obstacles etc. this thermal night vision system can also reduce the stress brought about by exhausting night time driving, enabling the driver to keep alert and take proper actions to respond to emergencies.

Benefits of using Thermal Night Vision Camera

Helps to save your life and lives of other road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and wild animals.
It is very easy to use, no technical knowledge is needed to use one of thermal night vision cameras.
Often in the winter months we drive to work in the dark and home in the dark, so this would mean you would get excellent value out of our camera.
During these winter months of driving in the dark it would also take the stress off the driver and allow him/her to relax slightly knowing their thermal night vision camera is there to guide them through the darkness.

This article comes from satir-uk edit released

Thermal Network Security Cameras

Thermal Network Camera – Utilizing technology advances and expansion into high-volume, low cost manufacturing, we bring affordable Thermal Imaging technology to commercial surveillance and security application.

With a detection range of up to 1km, Thermal Network Camera employs uncooled 320×240, 17um VOx thermal imaging technology, unlike other surveillance camera, this Thermal Network Camera does NOT require any ambient light or illumination. It detects infrared (heat) waves to provide users with superior thermal images in challenging environments, including complete darkness, over water and in dark corners, where threats are difficult to detect due to lighting constraints and weather conditions.

The camera system is an Internet Protocol (IP) networked solution. conforming to the Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF) standard, which can be accessed by most of ONVIF compliance NVR and VMS.

This article comes from leopardimaging edit released

Thermal Binocular Weapon Sight

Thermal Binocular Gun-Mounted Scope is a super compact, light-weight gun-monted thermal imager. The product have teamed up to bring you this unique, exclusive tan finish and a strategically designed scope. The Gun-Mounted Thermal Scope features a 2 Vox microbolometer core, ensuring you’re getting the most out of your sight. Ideal for any marksman, or hunter, this waterproof thermal sight is designed as a weapon scope, but functions optimally as a spotting scope or handheld thermal imager as well.

The Water Resistant Thermal Binocular Gun-Mounted Scope is a solid state, uncooled, long-wave infrared, magnified dedicated weapon scope intended for day and night engagements without the need to remove the sight from the rifle. The 24/7 mission capability is just one of its many strengths. Thermal Binocular technology also allows you to detect targets by cutting through snow, dust, smoke, fog, haze, and other atmospheric obscurants.

In addition to being the smallest and lightest in their class, Thermal Binocular Weapon Sights are characterized by their simple and intuitive controls, functions, and features that are layered among direct button adjustments, direct combination button functions, and electronic menu selections. This “layering” of easy-to-understand control functions provides the operator with a framework for customizing his preference and exploiting the robust variety of setting options available. The Thermal Sight w/Integral MIL-STD Rails has a series of selectable color modes based on a rich, upgradeable software package. A wireless remote switch is included to activate the Thermal Binocular Weapon Sight w/FLIR Detector when positioned in the “standby” mode. The thermal scope has the ability to record videos with optional Digital Video Recorder and is also equipped with a video-out capability in operator selectable NTSC or PAL formats. It uses the same multi-pin connector to provide video-in imagery, where there is a need for map or rangefinder display overlays, and external power access.

Recording weapon installation is easy, repeatable, and reliable based on a unique and highly user-friendly MIL-STD-1913/Weaver/Picatinny rail-compatible, quick-release locking mechanism. The solid state technology and software algorithms, combined with a complimentary color reticle platform, ensures maximum reticle contrast, high-level target accuracy, and boresight retention that cannot be achieved with mechanical boresight adjusters and traditional ballistic drums. This level of accuracy is translated into the electronic zoom (e-zoom) function of the Thermal Binocular Weapon Sights, which can be progressively increased from 1x to 2x and 4x, without changing the point-of-aim to point-of-impact relationship of the targeting reticle.

This article comes from opticsplanet edit released