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89-435: There are two types of systems, either passive or active systems, both have advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other. The passive system pertains to the technologies that detect thermal radiation emitted by humans, animals, and other objects in the road while the active systems illuminate objects as a significant distance ahead using infrared light sources. Active systems use an infrared light source built into

178-433: A temperature measurement of an object using an infrared imager, it is necessary to estimate or determine the object's emissivity. For quick work, a thermographer may refer to an emissivity table for a given type of object, and enter that value into the imager. The imager would then calculate the object's contact temperature based on the value entered from the table and the object's emission of infrared radiation as detected by

267-949: A 1280 x 720 focal plane array (FPA). Some of the materials used for the sensor arrays are amorphous silicon (a-Si), vanadium(V) oxide (VOx), lanthanum barium manganite (LBMO), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lanthanum doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT), lead scandium tantalate (PST), lead lanthanum titanate (PLT), lead titanate (PT), lead zinc niobate (PZN), lead strontium titanate (PSrT), barium strontium titanate (BST), barium titanate (BT), antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI), and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). Some specification parameters of an infrared camera system are number of pixels , frame rate , responsivity , noise-equivalent power , noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD), spectral band, distance-to-spot ratio (D:S), minimum focus distance, sensor lifetime, minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD), field of view , dynamic range , input power, and mass and volume. IR film

356-655: A black-and-white image which is projected on the lower section of the windshield. In February 2008 the Toyota Crown Hybrid added a feature which highlights pedestrians and presents them in a box on an LCD display in front of the driver. This was the first pedestrian detection feature for an active system. In 2009, Lexus introduced Night View on the LS , but only in Japan. In 2012 Lexus introduced Night View worldwide, on LS and GS . The Night View system combines

445-483: A distance of up to 100m. A digital instrument cluster shows the driver the area around the car in infrared, with a yellow line around any sources of potential danger. For critical danger, the line becomes red, allowing the driver to react to the situation. The DS 7 Crossback is the first DS vehicle to include Night Vision. On the Peugeot 508 , an optional night vision system helps to see pedestrians and animals during

534-466: A dual-color variant of the ANVIS for use in the cockpit of airborne platforms. Active illumination couples imaging intensification technology with an active source of illumination in the near infrared (NIR) or shortwave infrared (SWIR) band. Examples of such technologies include low light cameras. Active infrared night-vision combines infrared illumination of spectral range 700–1,000 nm (just over

623-418: A high price range (often US$ 3,000 or more) due to the expense of the larger pixel array (state of the art 1280 x 1024), while less expensive models (with pixel arrays of 40x40 up to 160x120 pixels) are also available. Fewer pixels reduce the image quality making it more difficult to distinguish proximate targets within the same field of view. There is also a difference in refresh rate. Some cameras may only have

712-427: A layer of amorphous silicon , or a thin film vanadium(V) oxide sensing element suspended on silicon nitride bridge above the silicon-based scanning electronics. The electric resistance of the sensing element is measured once per frame. Current improvements of uncooled focal plane arrays (UFPA) are focused primarily on higher sensitivity and pixel density. In 2013 DARPA announced a five-micron LWIR camera that uses

801-513: A long history, although its use has increased dramatically with the commercial and industrial applications of the past fifty years. Firefighters use thermography to see through smoke , to find persons, and to localize the base of a fire. Maintenance technicians use thermography to locate overheating joints and sections of power lines , which are a sign of impending failure. Building construction technicians can see thermal signatures that indicate heat leaks in faulty thermal insulation and can use

890-461: A miniature Stirling cycle refrigerator or liquid nitrogen . Thermal images, or thermograms, are actually visual displays of the amount of infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and reflected by an object. Because there are multiple sources of the infrared energy, it is difficult to get an accurate temperature of an object using this method. A thermal imaging camera is capable of performing algorithms to interpret that data and build an image. Although

979-449: A range of 300 meters or nearly 1,000 feet, and avoids "dazzle" from headlights, road lights and similar intense light sources. 2008 update added pedestrian detection system on the redesigned BMW 7 Series (F01) , which flashes a caution symbol on the navigation/information screen and automotive head-up display when it detects pedestrians. 2013 update added Dynamic Light Spot . 2013 update added animal detection . The system provides

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1068-488: A real-time video image that also depicts on the Control Display persons, animals and other objects emitting heat when they are outside of the light beam and warns in the event of an impending collision. The Dynamic Light Spot is produced by a special headlight that directs the light beam onto the recognised persons or animals respectively, thus drawing the driver’s attention to possible hazards in good time. As soon as

1157-407: A reflection on the windshield. In 2004, Honda introduced first worldwide system with pedestrian detection on redesigned Honda Legend : Intelligent Night Vision. It detected far infrared radiation. The pedestrian detection feature alerted the driver with an audio warning and visually enclosed the pedestrian in a box on the display which was presented via head-up display. The night vision system uses

1246-432: A rigid casing, commonly used by military forces . Lately, night vision technology has become more widely available for civilian use. For example, enhanced vision systems (EVS) have become available for aircraft, to augment the situational awareness of pilots to prevent accidents. These systems are included in the latest avionics packages from manufacturers such as Cirrus and Cessna . The US Navy has begun procurement of

1335-407: A separate heads up type display projected on the center bottom of the windshield. The infrared cameras do not require a light source, and the software is able to detect human like figures, surround the image with a red box and give audible caution tones. DS Night Vision offers road visibility by night. An infrared camera in the front grill identifies objects, pedestrians and animals on the road at

1424-453: A series of mathematical algorithms. Since the camera is only able to see the electromagnetic radiation that is impossible to detect with the human eye , it will build a picture in the viewer and record a visible picture, usually in a JPG format. In order to perform the role of non-contact temperature recorder, the camera will change the temperature of the object being viewed with its emissivity setting. Other algorithms can be used to affect

1513-445: A source of illumination. They produce an image in the darkest of nights and can see through light fog, rain, and smoke (to a certain extent). Thermal imaging cameras make small temperature differences visible. They are widely used to complement new or existing security networks, and for night vision on aircraft, where they are commonly referred to as "FLIR" (for "forward-looking infrared"). When coupled with additional cameras (for example,

1602-479: A standard NTSC composite video signal and the used parts are somewhat easy and inexpensive to find, it has become a popular choice for fitting thermal night vision to other vehicles. After a long hiatus, the 2016 flagship Cadillac CT6 was equipped with an improved version of the Enhanced Night Vision, in which the images are displayed and embedded in the instrument panel instead of being displayed as

1691-451: A thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds; humans and other warm-blooded animals become easily visible against the environment, day or night. As a result, thermography is particularly useful to the military and other users of surveillance cameras. Some physiological changes in human beings and other warm-blooded animals can also be monitored with thermal imaging during clinical diagnostics. Thermography

1780-502: A thermal imaging camera. Emitted radiant power is generally what is intended to be measured; transmitted radiant power is the radiant power that passes through the subject from a remote thermal source, and; reflected radiant power is the amount of radiant power that reflects off the surface of the object from a remote thermal source. This phenomenon occurs everywhere, all the time. It is a process known as radiant heat exchange, since radiant power × time equals radiant energy . However, in

1869-647: A variant integrated into a helmet-mounted display, produced by Elbit Systems. A specific type of NVD, the night vision goggle (NVG) is a night vision device with dual eyepieces. The device can utilize either one intensifier tube with the same image sent to both eyes, or a separate image intensifier tube for each eye. Night vision goggles combined with magnification lenses constitutes night vision binoculars. Other types include monocular night vision devices with only one eyepiece which may be mounted to firearms as night sights. NVG and EVS technologies are becoming more popular with helicopter operations, to improve safety. The NTSB

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1958-427: A visible spectrum camera or SWIR) multispectral sensors are possible, which take advantage of the benefits of each detection band's capabilities. Contrary to misconceptions portrayed in the media, thermal imagers cannot "see" through solid objects (walls, for example), nor can they see through glass or acrylic, as both these materials have their own thermal signature and are opaque to long wave infrared radiation. Before

2047-702: A wide range of narrow gap semiconductors including indium antimonide (3-5 μm), indium arsenide , mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) (1-2 μm, 3-5 μm, 8-12 μm), lead sulfide , and lead selenide . Infrared photodetectors can be created with structures of high bandgap semiconductors such as in quantum well infrared photodetectors . A number of superconducting and non-superconducting cooled bolometer technologies exist. In principle, superconducting tunneling junction devices could be used as infrared sensors because of their very narrow gap. Small arrays have been demonstrated. They have not been broadly adopted for use because their high sensitivity requires careful shielding from

2136-522: A windshield mounted near infra-red camera and near infra-red projectors within the headlamps with a Night View ECU to display an image of the road ahead on center console display screen. Moving the image from the driver’s instrument display to the center console offers drivers a larger display and an easier viewing angle. With the camera constantly in operation and the near infra-red projectors activating at speeds over 10 MPH to enhance system efficiency, night view will display an area up to 65 feet in front of

2225-611: Is a biological process that contributes a relatively minor amount to night vision. In humans, the irises can adjust the size of the pupil from 2 mm in bright light, to as large as 8 mm in dark conditions, but this varies by individual and age, with age causing the maximal pupil diameter to decrease. However, some humans are capable of dilating their pupils to over 9 mm in diameter in the dark, giving them better night vision capabilities. Night vision technologies can be broadly divided into three main categories: image intensification , active illumination , and thermal imaging . This magnifies

2314-416: Is a device that creates an image using infrared (IR) radiation, similar to a normal camera that forms an image using visible light . Instead of the 400–700 nanometre (nm) range of the visible light camera, infrared cameras are sensitive to wavelengths from about 1,000 nm (1  micrometre or μm) to about 14,000 nm (14 μm). The practice of capturing and analyzing the data they provide

2403-462: Is a technique which controls the laser pulses in conjunction with the shutter speed of the camera's detectors. Gated imaging technology can be divided into single shot , where the detector captures the image from a single light pulse, and multi-shot , where the detector integrates the light pulses from multiple shots to form an image. One of the key advantages of this technique is the ability to perform target recognition rather than mere detection, as

2492-596: Is a term that is often misunderstood and misused. It represents a material's ability to emit thermal radiation and is an optical property of matter . Each material has a different emissivity, which may vary by temperature and infrared wavelength. For example, clean metal surfaces have emissivity that decreases at longer wavelengths; many dielectric materials, such as quartz (SiO 2 ), sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ), calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ), etc. have emissivity that increases at longer wavelength; simple oxides, such as iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) display relatively flat emissivity in

2581-498: Is able to find deterioration, i.e., higher temperature components prior to their failure. It can be used to measure or observe in areas inaccessible or hazardous for other methods. It is a non-destructive test method. It can be used to find defects in shafts, pipes, and other metal or plastic parts. It can be used to detect objects in dark areas. It has some medical application, essentially in physiotherapy . There are various cameras cheaper and more expensive. Quality cameras often have

2670-402: Is both energy-intensive and time-consuming. The camera may need several minutes to cool down before it can begin working. The most commonly used cooling systems are peltier coolers which, although inefficient and limited in cooling capacity, are relatively simple and compact. To obtain better image quality or for imaging low temperature objects Stirling engine cryocoolers are needed. Although

2759-465: Is called thermography . Thermographic cameras can be broadly divided into two types: those with cooled infrared image detectors and those with uncooled detectors. Cooled detectors are typically contained in a vacuum-sealed case or Dewar and cryogenically cooled. The cooling is necessary for the operation of the semiconductor materials used. Typical operating temperatures range from 4 K (−269 °C) to just below room temperature, depending on

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2848-420: Is considerably lower than that of optical cameras, mostly 160x120 or 320x240 pixels , up to 1280 x 1024 for the most expensive models. Thermal imaging cameras are much more expensive than their visible-spectrum counterparts, and higher-end models are often export-restricted due to the military uses for this technology. Older bolometers or more sensitive models such as InSb require cryogenic cooling, usually by

2937-425: Is considering EVS as recommended equipment for safety features. Night glasses are single or binocular with a large diameter objective. Large lenses can gather and concentrate light, thus intensifying light with purely optical means and enabling the user to see better in the dark than with the naked eye alone. Often night glasses also have a fairly large exit pupil of 7 mm or more to let all gathered light into

3026-558: Is detected by the Night Vision Assistant in a critical range in front of the vehicle, individual Matrix LEDs flash briefly 3 times in succession to alert that person, who is then clearly visible to the driver. BMW Night Vision introduced in 2005 on the BMW 7 Series (E65) . This system processes far infrared radiation, which minimizes non-essential information placing a greater emphasis on pedestrians and animals, allows for

3115-408: Is due to differences in their fabrication processes, limited by currently available technology. An uncooled thermal camera also needs to deal with its own heat signature. Uncooled detectors are mostly based on pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials or microbolometer technology. The material are used to form pixels with highly temperature-dependent properties, which are thermally insulated from

3204-475: Is now commonly found in commercial, residential and government security applications, where it enables effective night time imaging under low-light conditions. However, since active infrared light can be detected by night-vision goggles, there can be a risk of giving away position in tactical military operations. Laser range gated imaging is another form of active night vision which utilizes a high powered pulsed light source for illumination and imaging. Range gating

3293-411: Is sensitive to infrared (IR) radiation in the 250 to 500 °C (482 to 932 °F) range, while the range of thermography is approximately −50 to 2,000 °C (−58 to 3,632 °F). So, for an IR film to work thermographically, the measured object must be over 250 °C (482 °F) or be reflecting infrared radiation from something that is at least that hot. Night vision infrared devices image in

3382-560: Is sizes from 1 to 100 microns. Far infrared has a wavelength of 15 micrometers (µm) to 1 mm. During night-time operations, police officers with range gated near infrared cameras can read license plates at a distance of up to 1.2 km. Near Infrared (NIR) cameras are available to see 50 km through fog, haze, smoke, rain. Night View Assist prototype was shown in 2003 on the Mercedes-Benz F500 concept. Series production Night View Assist system introduced in 2005 on

3471-456: Is the case with thermal imaging. Thermal imaging detects the temperature difference between background and foreground objects. Some organisms are able to sense a crude thermal image by means of special organs that function as bolometers . This allows thermal infrared sensing in snakes , which functions by detecting thermal radiation. Thermal imaging cameras are excellent tools for night vision. They detect thermal radiation and do not need

3560-474: Is then displayed to the driver. Such systems are currently offered as optional equipment on certain premium vehicles. Thermographic camera Infrared thermography ( IRT ), thermal video or thermal imaging , is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared imaging science . Thermographic cameras usually detect radiation in

3649-424: Is to use an infrared vision device, usually a focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera capable of detecting radiation in the mid (3 to 5 μm) and long (7 to 14 μm) wave infrared bands, denoted as MWIR and LWIR, corresponding to two of the high transmittance infrared windows . Abnormal temperature profiles at the surface of an object are an indication of a potential problem. In passive thermography ,

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3738-462: Is to use gases bottled at high pressure, nitrogen being a common choice. The pressurised gas is expanded via a micro-sized orifice and passed over a miniature heat exchanger resulting in regenerative cooling via the Joule–Thomson effect . For such systems the supply of pressurized gas is a logistical concern for field use. Materials used for cooled infrared detection include photodetectors based on

3827-467: Is used in allergy detection and veterinary medicine . Some alternative medicine practitioners promote its use for breast screening , despite the FDA warning that "those who opt for this method instead of mammography may miss the chance to detect cancer at its earliest stage". Government and airport personnel used thermography to detect suspected swine flu cases during the 2009 pandemic. Thermography has

3916-477: The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class (C216) became the first series production car with night vision-guided pedestrian spotlighting ( HID version ) can flash at any pedestrians it detects in order to warn both the driver and the pedestrians. The flashing light is directed in such a way that vehicles in front and oncoming traffic are not dazzled. 2013: Night View Assist Plus with animal detection on

4005-563: The W222 S-Class . In 2002 Toyota Night View was the first worldwide series production active automotive night vision system, introduced on the Toyota Landcruiser Cygnus or Lexus LX 470. This system uses the headlight projectors emitting near infrared light aimed like the car's highbeam headlights and a CCD camera then captures that reflected radiation, this signal is then processed by computer which produces

4094-404: The human eye lacks a tapetum lucidum , tissue behind the retina that reflects light back through the retina thus increasing the light available to the photoreceptors. Night-useful spectral range techniques can sense radiation that is invisible to a human observer. Human vision is confined to a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum called visible light . Enhanced spectral range allows

4183-451: The visible spectrum of the human eye) with CCD cameras sensitive to this light. The resulting scene, which is apparently dark to a human observer, appears as a monochrome image on a normal display device. Because active infrared night-vision systems can incorporate illuminators that produce high levels of infrared light, the resulting images are typically higher resolution than other night-vision technologies. Active infrared night vision

4272-538: The PVS-31 binocular and GPNVG-18 quad-tube night vision are used by special forces groups, but are costly. Monoculars are generally preferred by developed forces. Night vision systems can also be installed in vehicles. An automotive night vision system is used to improve a vehicle driver's perception and seeing distance in darkness or poor weather. Such systems typically use infrared cameras, sometimes combined with active illumination techniques, to collect information that

4361-416: The amount of received photons from various natural sources such as starlight or moonlight. Examples of such technologies include night glasses and low light cameras. In the military context, Image Intensifiers are often called "Low Light TV" since the video signal is often transmitted to a display within a control center. These are usually integrated into a sensor containing both visible and IR detectors and

4450-581: The back of the eye that reflects light back through the retina , increasing the amount of light available for it to capture, but reducing the sharpness of the focus of the image. This is found in many nocturnal animals and some deep sea animals, and is the cause of eyeshine. Humans, and monkeys, lack a tapetum lucidum . Nocturnal mammals have rods with unique properties that make enhanced night vision possible. The nuclear pattern of their rods changes shortly after birth to become inverted. In contrast to conventional rods, inverted rods have heterochromatin in

4539-478: The background radiation. Superconducting detectors offer extreme sensitivity, with some able to register individual photons. For example, ESA 's Superconducting camera (SCAM) . However, they are not in regular use outside of scientific research. Uncooled thermal cameras use a sensor operating at ambient temperature, or a sensor stabilized at a temperature close to ambient using small temperature control elements. Modern uncooled detectors all use sensors that work by

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4628-444: The car to illuminate the road ahead with light that is invisible to humans. There are two kinds of active systems: gated and non-gated. The gated system uses a pulsed light source and a synchronized camera that enable long ranges (250m) and high performance in rain and snow. Near Infrared wavelength is 0.75–1.4 µm is smaller and can pass between the typical fog particles. Fog particles sizes are typically 10 to 15 microns and ranges

4717-478: The case of infrared thermography, the above equation is used to describe the radiant power within the spectral wavelength passband of the thermal imaging camera in use. The radiant heat exchange requirements described in the equation apply equally at every wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum . If the object is radiating at a higher temperature than its surroundings, then power transfer will be taking place and power will be radiating from warm to cold following

4806-472: The center of their nuclei and euchromatin and other transcription factors along the border. In addition, the outer layer of cells in the retina (the outer nuclear layer ) in nocturnal mammals is thick due to the millions of rods present to process the lower light intensities. The anatomy of this layer in nocturnal mammals is such that the rod nuclei, from individual cells, are physically stacked such that light will pass through eight to ten nuclei before reaching

4895-544: The change of resistance , voltage or current when heated by infrared radiation. These changes are then measured and compared to the values at the operating temperature of the sensor. Uncooled infrared sensors can be stabilized to an operating temperature to reduce image noise, but they are not cooled to low temperatures and do not require bulky, expensive, energy consuming cryogenic coolers. This makes infrared cameras smaller and less costly. However, their resolution and image quality tend to be lower than cooled detectors. This

4984-417: The contact temperature of a thermally uniform black body radiator were 50 °C (122 °F), the black body would emit thermal radiation characteristic of 50 °C (122 °F). An ordinary object emits less infrared radiation than a theoretical black body. The fraction of its actual emission to the theoretical emission (of the black body) is its emissivity (or emissivity coefficient). In order to make

5073-453: The cooling apparatus may be comparatively bulky and expensive, cooled infrared cameras provide greatly superior image quality compared to uncooled ones, particularly of objects near or below room temperature. Additionally, the greater sensitivity of cooled cameras also allow the use of higher F-number lenses, making high performance long focal length lenses both smaller and cheaper for cooled detectors. An alternative to Stirling engine coolers

5162-472: The detector technology. Most modern cooled detectors operate in the 60 Kelvin (K) to 100 K range (-213 to -173 °C), depending on type and performance level. Without cooling, these sensors (which detect and convert light in much the same way as common digital cameras, but are made of different materials) would be 'blinded' or flooded by their own radiation. The drawbacks of cooled infrared cameras are that they are expensive both to produce and to run. Cooling

5251-474: The emitting. The image is said to become "intensified" because the output visible light is brighter than the incoming light, and this effect directly relates to the difference in passive and active night vision goggles . Currently, the most popular image intensifier is the drop-in ANVIS module, though many other models and sizes are available at the market. Recently, the US Navy announced intentions to procure

5340-521: The environment and read electronically. Ferroelectric detectors operate close to phase transition temperature of the sensor material; the pixel temperature is read as the highly temperature-dependent polarization charge. The achieved NETD of ferroelectric detectors with f/1 optics and 320x240 sensors is 70-80 mK. A possible sensor assembly consists of barium strontium titanate bump-bonded by polyimide thermally insulated connection. Silicon microbolometers can reach NETD down to 20 mK. They consist of

5429-433: The features of interest are naturally at a higher or lower temperature than the background. Passive thermography has many applications such as surveillance of people on a scene and medical diagnosis (specifically thermology ). In active thermography , an energy source is required to produce a thermal contrast between the feature of interest and the background. The active approach is necessary in many cases given that

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5518-415: The image shows the viewer an approximation of the temperature at which the object is operating, the camera is actually using multiple sources of data based on the areas surrounding the object to determine that value rather than detecting the actual temperature. This phenomenon may become clearer upon consideration of the formula: where incident radiant power is the radiant power profile when viewed through

5607-426: The imager. In order to get a more accurate temperature measurement, a thermographer may apply a standard material of known, high emissivity to the surface of the object. The standard material might be as complex as industrial emissivity spray produced specifically for the purpose, or as simple as standard black insulation tape , with an emissivity of about 0.97. The object's known temperature can then be measured using

5696-520: The infrared spectrum. A material's emissivity can range from a theoretical 0.00 (completely not-emitting) to an equally theoretical 1.00 (completely emitting). An example of a substance with low emissivity would be silver, with an emissivity coefficient of .02. An example of a substance with high emissivity would be asphalt, with an emissivity coefficient of .98. A black body is a theoretical object with an emissivity of 1 that radiates thermal radiation characteristic of its contact temperature. That is, if

5785-445: The inspected parts are usually in equilibrium with the surroundings. Given the super-linearities of the black-body radiation , active thermography can also be used to enhance the resolution of imaging systems beyond their diffraction limit or to achieve super-resolution microscopy . Thermography shows a visual picture so temperatures over a large area can be compared. It is capable of catching moving targets in real time. It

5874-404: The instrument cluster highlights humans with yellow markings. More importantly, the computer can determine if the person on the road moves in a way that could lead to a collision with the car. In that case the pedestrian is being marked in red color and the driver of the car receives an audible warning. 2013 update added animal detection . and Pedestrian Marker Lights : As soon as a pedestrian

5963-413: The introduction of image intensifiers, night glasses were the only method of night vision, and thus were widely utilized, especially at sea. Second World War era night glasses usually had a lens diameter of 56 mm or more with magnification of seven or eight. Major drawbacks of night glasses are their large size and weight. A night vision device (NVD) is a device comprising an image intensifier tube in

6052-416: The light is "amplified," it is not. When light strikes a charged photocathode plate, electrons are emitted through a vacuum tube and strike the microchannel plate. This causes the image screen to illuminate with a picture in the same pattern as the light that strikes the photocathode and on a wavelength the human eye can see. This is much like a CRT television , but instead of color guns the photocathode does

6141-563: The long- infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14 μm ) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms . Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law , thermography makes it possible to see one's environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. When viewed through

6230-404: The measurement, including the transmission ability of the transmitting medium (usually air) and the temperature of that transmitting medium. All these settings will affect the ultimate output for the temperature of the object being viewed. This functionality makes the thermal imaging camera an excellent tool for the maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems in industry and commerce. By using

6319-503: The near-infrared, just beyond the visual spectrum, and can see emitted or reflected near-infrared in complete visual darkness. However, again, these are not usually used for thermography due to the high temperature requirements, but are instead used with active near-IR sources. Starlight-type night vision devices generally only magnify ambient light . All objects above the absolute zero temperature (0  K ) emit infrared radiation . Hence, an excellent way to measure thermal variations

6408-417: The night and alert the driver. Night vision#Active infrared Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device . Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range . Humans have poor night vision compared to many animals such as cats , dogs , foxes and rabbits , in part because

6497-411: The night vision adaptation occurs within the first five minutes in the dark. Adaptation results in maximum sensitivity to light. In dark conditions only the rod cells have enough sensitivity to respond and to trigger vision. Rhodopsin in the human rods is insensitive to the longer red wavelengths , so traditionally many people use red light to help preserve night vision. Red light only slowly depletes

6586-436: The photoreceptor portion of the cells. Rather than being scattered, the light is passed to each nucleus individually, by a strong lensing effect due to the nuclear inversion, passing out of the stack of nuclei, and into the stack of ten photorecepting outer segments . The net effect of this anatomical change is to multiply the light sensitivity of the retina by a factor of eight to ten with no loss of focus. Pupillary dilation

6675-409: The physiological process which results in vision. The retinal must diffuse from the vision cell, out of the eye, and circulate via the blood to the liver where it is regenerated. In bright light conditions, most of the retinal is not in the photoreceptors, but is outside of the eye. It takes about 45 minutes of dark for all of the photoreceptor proteins to be recharged with active retinal, but most of

6764-471: The principle stated in the second law of thermodynamics . So if there is a cool area in the thermogram, that object will be absorbing the radiation emitted by the warm object. The ability of objects to emit is called emissivity , to absorb radiation is called absorptivity . Under outdoor environments, convective cooling from wind may also need to be considered when trying to get an accurate temperature reading. The thermal imaging camera would next employ

6853-481: The proper camera settings and by being careful when capturing the image, electrical systems can be scanned and problems can be found. Faults with steam traps in steam heating systems are easy to locate. In the energy savings area, the thermal imaging camera can do more. Because it can see the effective radiation temperature of an object as well as what that object is radiating towards, it can help locate sources of thermal leaks and overheated regions as well. Emissivity

6942-475: The redesigned Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221) . It was the first system to use the instrument cluster's LCD as a display. 2009: Night View Assist Plus added a pedestrian detection function calling the revised system on the redesigned Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212) and refreshed S-class , however, the E-class uses the navigation screen's display. 2011: Night View Assist Plus with Spotlight Function premiere:

7031-563: The remote infrared detects pedestrians or larger animals on course for collision in the dark, the system directs two separately controlled Dynamic Light Spots at them without creating an unpleasant glare. In the event of an acute risk, an acoustic warning signal is also sounded and the brakes are set to maximum standby. For the model year 2014, the BMW 5 Series will also have these new features. First worldwide series production automotive night vision on 2000 Cadillac Deville : Night Vision , however it

7120-548: The result of one or more differences in the morphology and anatomy of their eyes. These include having a larger eyeball, a larger lens, a larger optical aperture (the pupils may expand to the physical limit of the eyelids), more rods than cones (or rods exclusively) in the retina , and a tapetum lucidum . Enhanced intensity range is achieved via technological means through the use of an image intensifier , gain multiplication CCD , or other very low-noise and high-sensitivity arrays of photodetectors . All photoreceptor cells in

7209-656: The results to improve the efficiency of heating and air-conditioning units. The appearance and operation of a modern thermographic camera is often similar to a camcorder . Often the live thermogram reveals temperature variations so clearly that a photograph is not necessary for analysis. A recording module is therefore not always built-in. Specialized thermal imaging cameras use focal plane arrays (FPAs) that respond to longer wavelengths (mid- and long-wavelength infrared). The most common types are InSb , InGaAs , HgCdTe and QWIP FPA. The newest technologies use low-cost, uncooled microbolometers as FPA sensors. Their resolution

7298-415: The rhodopsin stores in the rods, and instead is viewed by the red sensitive cone cells . Another theory posits that since stars typically emit light with shorter wavelengths, the light from stars will be in the blue-green color spectrum. Therefore, using red light to navigate would not desensitize the receptors used to detect star light. Many animals have a tissue layer called the tapetum lucidum in

7387-530: The standard emissivity. If desired, the object's actual emissivity (on a part of the object that is not covered by the standard material) can then be determined by adjusting the imager's setting to the known temperature. There are situations, however, when such an emissivity test is not possible due to dangerous or inaccessible conditions. In these situations, the thermographer must rely on tables. A thermographic camera (also called an infrared camera or thermal imaging camera , thermal camera or thermal imager )

7476-430: The streams are used independently or in fused mode, depending on the mission at hand's requirements. The image intensifier is a vacuum-tube based device (photomultiplier tube) that can generate an image from a very small number of photons (such as the light from stars in the sky) so that a dimly lit scene can be viewed in real-time by the naked eye via visual output, or stored as data for later analysis. While many believe

7565-588: The user's eye. However, many people cannot take advantage of this because of the limited dilation of the human pupil . To overcome this, soldiers were sometimes issued atropine eye drops to dilate pupils. Currently, the PVS-14 monocular is the most widely used and preferred night vision device across NATO forces. It is used by the United States army, and is known for its low cost and wide range of uses and modification ability. Some higher end devices including

7654-544: The vehicle. This system was discontinued for 2014 in the US. Passive infrared systems do not use an infrared light source, instead they capture thermal radiation already emitted by the objects, using a thermographic camera . Night Vision Assistant was introduced in 2010 on the Audi A8 . It uses a thermal imaging camera behind the four rings at the front of the car which can "see" 300 meters (984 ft) ahead. The display in

7743-419: The vertebrate eye contain molecules of photoreceptor protein which is a combination of the protein photopsin in color vision cells , rhodopsin in night vision cells , and retinal (a small photoreceptor molecule). Retinal undergoes an irreversible change in shape when it absorbs light; this change causes an alteration in the shape of the protein which surrounds the retinal, and that alteration then induces

7832-421: The viewer to take advantage of non-visible sources of electromagnetic radiation (such as near- infrared or ultraviolet radiation). Some animals such as the mantis shrimp and trout can see using much more of the infrared and/or ultraviolet spectrum than humans. Sufficient intensity range is simply the ability to see with very small quantities of light. Many animals have better night vision than humans do,

7921-438: Was discontinued in 2004. This system was developed with Raytheon and worked by using a passive infrared sensor camera mounted behind the vehicle's grille. Infrared radiation is picked up by the sensor, processed by computer and then displayed on the windshield using a head-up display . Information is displayed as a black-and-white image with warmer objects in white, while cooler objects appear black. Because this system outputs

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