LWIR Cameras: Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) Camera Market Heats Up
Most cameras capture images of objects that the human eye can see, but one of the most familiar exceptions is infrared (IR) thermal cameras, which detect infrared light, a form of radiant energy that is invisible to people. Can feel the heat of infrared light, but can not see infrared light. Any object at a temperature above absolute zero (-273.15°C) emits thermal radiation. The warmer an object is, the more heat it radiates, allowing humans and other warm-blooded animals to stand out from cooler backgrounds in infrared camera images.
Long wave infrared (LWIR) cameras are the most commonly used infrared cameras. With decreasing size, weight and cost, and increasing performance, LWIR cameras are being used in a wider range of applications than ever before, ranging from using drones to protect endangered wildlife to diagnostic systems for detecting cancer and many other diseases. According to data from market research company Global Market Insights, by 2023, the market size of IR cameras will reach 6.82 billion US dollars.
LWIR Cameras: Infrared Sweet Spots
Thermal imaging cameras operate in three wavebands: mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR) and very long-wave infrared (VLIR).
The VLIR band has the most limited range of applications. It is primarily used in spectroscopy applications (a laboratory technique for identifying matter by the light it reflects from objects) and in high-powered telescopes in astronomy.
The MWIR band is best suited for detecting hot objects - which is why most MWIR cameras must be cooled to about -196°C, which also makes them relatively large and expensive.
In contrast, LWIR cameras work best at near room temperature, don't require cooling, are small, and inexpensive. Most LWIR cameras are based on microbolometers, sensitive electrical detectors that convert infrared radiation into temperature to produce black-and-white or color images. Most LWIR cameras are used to enhance visual information or to accurately measure temperature.
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Because LWIR cameras measure heat rather than light, they are increasingly being used in applications where traditional visible light imaging cannot reveal enough information, such as navigating autonomous vehicles at night, or in high-power transformers. and electrical panels before they fail, discovering their hidden dangers in advance.
A recent application of LWIR cameras, more efficiently installing and monitoring rooftop solar panels, also clearly demonstrates the versatility of LWIR technology.
Users can use an Apple or Android device to control a small drone equipped with an LWIR camera. As it flies over the solar panel installation site, the drone captures thermal images from which a highly accurate 3D model of the structure can be produced.
From an installation point of view, these models ensure that the panels are placed in the optimal position; from a maintenance point of view, they accurately detect damage or failure of the panels. The system reduces the time it takes to install solar panels from days to minutes, without the need for people to risk potentially dangerous climbs onto the roof.