TI Blog - everything you need to know about Thermal Imaging

Thermal Products Are Hot at ISC West 2012

IRI 6300/6400 thermal cameras also come with a remote firmware updating facility that enables post-installation upgrades, which makes them ideal for a variety of real-world applications, such as

- Security surveillance;
- Night vision for CCTV systems;
- Marine;
- Security vehicles; and
- Handheld thermal imagers.

Our thanks goes to ISC West for hosting a great show, and we look forward to rolling out another slice of new Irisys technology at next year’s show.

How thermal imaging detects electronic bugs

Covert electronic surveillance – bugging – is much more common than most people think. Governments, security forces and, as we now know, the media, have been doing it for years. Even Hugh Grant’s done it successfully.

It’s also an increasingly common tool for corporates, as companies spy on one another to steal intellectual property, discover competitors’ strategies and attempt to destroy rivals’ takeover plans.

But now infrared cameras are stepping in to identify bugs quickly and securely.

The scale of covert electronic surveillance

Google ‘spy shop london’ and you’ll find nearly 2.5 million results. There are around 30 dedicated spy stores doing brisk business in the UK capital alone.

Most sub-£100 bugging devices are disguised as pens, electrical plugs and even smiley face badges. They can be casually introduced into an office, left to record for a day or two, then collected. If they’re not discovered, the results can be devastating.

More sophisticated systems transmit using voice-activated GPS or LF, HF, VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies, often in very short pulses. The units, disguised as anything from laptop computers to mobile phones, ‘sleep’ until they detect a sound, so battery consumption is greatly reduced.

They can lie around for months. Even so, anything portable remains an object of interest to security officers. Plant pots, light fittings and even credit cards lying casually on a desk are inherently suspicious and are likely to be examined during any security sweep.

The hidden menace of electronic bugs

But the most dangerous electronic bugs are buried in walls and ceilings. They may have been installed many years before, when those friendly painters came in to redecorate. Lying just beneath the paint, they are impossible to see – but they listen to every word.

Electronic sweeps can identify the presence of transmitters when they are actively transmitting. However, unlike what you may see in James Bond movies, they cannot identify the precise location of a bug. Furthermore, the sweeping equipment is expensive – and bug-sweepers’ time can cost many thousands of pounds a day.

Often, the end result is a consultant telling you that there is probably a listening device somewhere in the boardroom – but you will have to destroy and rebuild that boardroom to ensure that the bug has been permanently destroyed.

Finding a reliable builder is hard enough at the best of times. Having to embark on a major rebuilding programme for an embassy or foreign business in a potentially high-risk area such as Iraq or Turkmenistan is a tall order.

Yet even the most hard-to-find bugs can now be pinpointed and disabled precisely, thanks to thermal imaging technology.

The infrared answer to electronic bugging

The principle is straightforward. When an electronic device is activated, it emits heat. By pointing an infrared camera at a blank wall, it can identify even very small changes in temperature compared with the surrounding area.

So when a few millimetres of wall heats up for just a second as the device transmits, the camera will ‘see’ and record it. A square centimetre of the structure can be investigated, and the bug found and destroyed.

Examples of where the solution has worked? Our lips are sealed. But, compared with rebuilding a boardroom, the infrared solution is elegantly simple – and another unusual use for thermal imaging technology.

[image credit: bugsweeps.com]

The Science Behind Thermal Imaging

On this blog, we spend a lot of time discussing the benefits of  thermal imaging; we thought it would be interesting to actually understand how the technology actually works.

As technology has advanced and costs of thermal imaging cameras have declined, thermal imaging has become more and more accessible to a variety of industries – including manufacturing, retail, security, transportation and domestic services. But how does thermal imaging work?

Thermal energy makes up one part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The naked eye cannot see thermal energy, because it is emitted from objects as heat, not reflected as light. The hotter an object, the more thermal energy it emits. All objects, even inanimate ones such as electronic components, emit some form of thermal energy.

Infrared thermal imaging cameras are detectors and precision optics platforms, which provide a visual representation of infrared energy emissions. A thermal imaging camera transforms thermal energy into visible light and processes that information through these basic steps:

1. A specialized camera lens focuses infrared radiation that is given off from all objects;
2. Infrared detectors detect and measure this focused radiation to create a thermogram, also known as a temperature map;
3. The camera then translates the thermogram into electric impulses;
4. The electric impulses are sent to a signal-processing unit where they are translated into usable data;  
5. Once translated, the signal-processing unit sends the data to a display where thermal emissions are visible to a viewer;
6. Where quantitative information is required, the thermal camera can also provide accurate temperature values of the surface being viewed; and
7. Images can be saved for later analysis and report generation.

IFSEC 2011: learn about infrared security

For the next few days, we’re exhibiting at IFSEC 2011, the world's largest annual security event.

Thermal imaging has a huge number of applications for the security sector. Irisys passive infrared detectors are widely used to provide data intelligence for:

• Night vision for security and personal surveillance
• Detection of ‘tailgating’ at secure access points
• Counting the number of people evacuating a building in an emergency situation

Thermal imaging detects people by their body heat. We’re all familiar with TV helicopter shots of suspects dispersing through fields at night, hotly pursued by police – but infrared security technology goes way beyond that. It can also detect where people have recently been, or where objects have been moved: vehicles or weapons, for example. It can also help prevent common security issues such as tailgating.

Irisys will be showcasing the new IRI5300 Thermal Imaging Camera core, offering affordable high performance for CCTV/surveillance applications – come and discuss your OEM requirements. Other demonstrations include new IP-based people counters, access control tailgate detection, evacuation control, building space optimisation and handheld thermal imaging cameras for police applications.

We’re looking forward to meeting a lot of security experts at the show. If you’d like to find out how infrared can complement your security, we’re in Hall 4 on Stand E7. The show runs from 16 - 19 May 2011 at the NEC Birmingham in the UK.

Thermal imaging becomes an integral part of electrical maintenance

Prior to recent technological advances in thermal imaging technology, electrical maintenance programs were reactionary, often identifying problems after equipment failure. The process was undeveloped and consisted of performing routine maintenance exercises.

Why use thermal imaging for electrical maintenance?

Thermal imaging cameras have revolutionized the way many think of electrical inefficiencies, repair and maintenance. The technology is helping users identify potential problems quickly and with little to no downtime.  For example, thermal imaging can help professionals:

• Check for loose / over tight connection
• Identify overloaded components
• Evaluate uneven voltage distribution
• Recognize failed / fatigued components

By utilizing thermal imaging technology, industry professionals are notified of potential problems before damage occurs and/or substantial repairs are needed.

Who benefits?

Due to improvements in technology, reduced prices have now made thermal imaging cameras widely available to new markets. No longer must companies utilize expensive, external contractors to maintain and repair equipment. Affordable, yet advanced, thermal imagers allow companies to conduct preventative maintenance as well as quick and efficient equipment repairs and troubleshooting.

How does this technology change current electrical maintenance practices?

Thermal imaging technology allows industry professionals to get ahead of equipment breakdowns and failures by proactively correcting problems that, in the past, would have meant costly downtime until repairs were complete. When using thermal imaging cameras, no equipment downtime is necessary, and when a problem is detected and resolved, thermographers can quickly and easily determine the effectiveness of repairs. 

Thermal imaging cameras are, and will continue to be, a cost-effective tool for managing electrical maintenance.

Irisys wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Irisys has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2011 - the highest official UK award for British businesses.

We were selected in the International Trade category for “outstanding” export achievements.

We increased overseas sales by 142% to nearly £12 million p.a. over three years, and upped exports from 48% to 83% of production. We now export to more than 40 countries worldwide including North and South America, China and Japan.

It also helped that we invest a double digit percentage of revenues in R&D, and hold over 70 patents.

The Awards are run in a peculiarly British way. The palace wrote to us about it some weeks back, but there was an official embargo until a minute past midnight on the Queen’s birthday. The idea is that Her Majesty bestows the honour as a personal birthday gift.

The Award follows an exceptional year for us. We more than doubled our turnover, opened more international offices, and embarked on a major recruitment programme.

We have an extraordinarily talented team here. It’s good to gain official recognition that we’re doing outstanding stuff.

ISC West

Last week we were in Las Vegas for ISC West, the largest US security event. Our booth was buzzing with activity as media, security CCTV integrators and manufacturers discussed the benefits of supplementing video surveillance systems with thermal imaging cameras.

The most exciting aspect of these discussions is the quick realization that thermal imaging is now more affordable than ever and can be easily integrated into current video surveillance systems. Featuring night vision without external lighting, long range surveillance beyond the range of standard cameras and without the hassle of replacing lamps or bulbs, thermal imaging is definitely a hot topic at the conference.  OEMs, in particular, have been showing lots of interest due to the ease in which our cameras can be integrated into current security systems.

Las Vegas and ISC West has been very good to us. The opportunity to highlight our cameras and discuss the benefits of thermal imaging with the security professionals who must utilize this technology every day is the true benefit.

Utilizing Thermal Imaging in Preventative Building Maintenance

In the past, thermal imaging was prohibitively expensive, preventing commercial markets from utilizing its benefits. However, in recent years, thermal imaging technology has become more efficient – decreasing costs and increasing solutions for a variety of industries, including retail, security, transportation and domestic services. The reduced cost of thermal imaging technology has greatly enhanced the preventative maintenance in buildings by helping identify potential and existing problems before they become high-cost repairs.

Today, facility managers across the globe are reaping the benefits of thermal imaging technology in preventative building maintenance programs. Whether it’s employed in commercial buildings or manufacturing environments, this revolutionary technology is helping save energy, cut costs and increase corporate social responsibility. Benefits seen in building maintenance include:

• Preventing and detecting heat loss/gain in building structures and utilities, including insulation and HVAC systems
• Identifying faulty components and overheating connections in electrical systems
• Monitoring the conditions and effectiveness of mechanical systems and equipment
• Gauging a facility’s carbon footprint

Thermal imaging technology has changed conventional building maintenance programs from being reactive to proactive. Before the use of thermal imaging cameras, conventional building maintenance programs were primarily driven by emergencies – such as equipment failures – or by arbitrary, routine maintenance exercises. Now, planned preventative maintenance programs that use thermal imaging cameras are routinely applied to numerous areas within commercial and industrial buildings.

The use of thermal imaging technology in preventative building maintenance is constantly evolving. In fact, its uses are becoming more beneficial to day-to-day maintenance operations. Handheld thermal imaging cameras have made it easy to check the condition and efficiency of mission-critical industry equipment. 

Organizations currently utilizing thermal imaging cameras to preempt emergency maintenance are experiencing reductions in operational downtime and costs while increasing capacity, service quality and returns on investment.

Thermal Imaging Advances the Security Industry

As we all know, technology is constantly evolving. Advances in thermal imaging are a testament to the impact technology can have on an industry. Once expensive military technology, thermal imaging cameras are more affordable than ever, and security professionals are quickly taking advantage of enhancements to video surveillance this technology provides. 

Poor lighting and long distances limit the effectiveness of video surveillance cameras and closed circuit television to monitor a specified area. Although effective in the right environment, the need for adequate lighting and the threat of a burned out light bulb – at the wrong time – make for unreliable security.

By supplementing video surveillance cameras with thermal imaging, security systems now have an added level of surveillance that would not be possible without this technology. 

Thermal imaging cameras monitor changes in temperature, which allows for objects and humans to become easily visible against the environment. Additionally, because the technology is based on temperature and not light, thermal imaging cameras provide long distance surveillance beyond the range of standard lighting. It’s no secret that most crimes happen at night, and the ability to identify threats as quickly as possible – day or night – is essential.

The benefits of thermal imaging make it an integral part of any complete security solution. For security professionals, the added benefits of temperature-based night vision and long range surveillance speak for themselves, and those who neglect adding this vital technology to their video surveillance package risk operating in the dark.

Closing curtains ‘acts like double glazing’

16 November 2010

Governments want businesses and consumers to find ways to save energy. Thermal imaging shows that simply closing curtains can have a dramatic effect.

Closing curtains or shutters at dusk could be as effective as fitting double glazing.

People living in period properties can dramatically reduce their energy bills, says a BBC report.

The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust used thermal imaging cameras to show residents how best to cut their bills.

The project has demonstrated that a low-tech approach can be highly effective.

Windows with the shutters and curtains closed appear in the images as a deep blue colour, showing that little heat is escaping.

Windows with the shutters and curtains open burn bright in oranges and reds, showing that much more heat - and money - is escaping.

The project team said other traditional techniques were equally valuable. Draught excluders were particularly useful in period properties.

Irisys is a leading manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras. “Energy efficiency is very important, particularly in period properties where there tend to be more draughts,” said managing director Ian Wilcock.

"Thermal imaging techniques can show how simple measures, like closing shutters at night or using full length curtains, can have a dramatic effect – and help people to save money.”

The project is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund.