IR Cameras / Infrared Thermal Camera

An infrared thermal camera (also referred to an IR camera) is a portable instrument that is used to detect infrared energy. Once detected, the infrared camera can convert the energy into an electronic signal. Then the electronic signal is processed to produce a thermal image. Key features when purchasing an infrared camera includes resolution, accuracy, and temperature range; depending on the model.

Infrared energy is a form of invisible light. Due to its characteristic, long wavelength it is undetectable by the human eye. This type of thermal energy is perceived as heat. Any object with a temperature above absolute zero emits some kind of heat. Therefore, even very cold objects (i.e. ice cubes) emit infrared. The heat sensed by IR cameras can be precisely measured. Infrared thermal cameras are valuable diagnostic tools in many diverse applications in and outside of the laboratory, such as materials testing (i.e. asphalt, plastics, and electronics), clinical diagnostics (i.e. testing body temperature), environmental (i.e. marine surveying, target heat signatures), and R&D.