Detection, Recognition and Identification
As seen earlier, thermal cameras are outstanding at detection, but they also perform really well for recognition. In the images on the previous page, although the resolution of the thermal image is only 384x288, it is still easy to determine that there is a person moving between the cars. When viewing the live video stream, the thermal camera gives us this information long before the visual camera has even detected the movement.
For identification purposes, we must distinguish between the identification provided by a visual camera (colors and faces) and the identification provided by a thermal camera. With the latter, an observer can distinguish and identify an object and the object’s characteristics – for example, a person holding a crowbar. At the time of writing, the available resolutions prohibit the general use of thermal imaging as evidence in court. This means that whenever definitive proof of colors, faces or text is required, the thermal camera will need assistance from visible light cameras. However, the advantage here is that it is possible to use thermal cameras in situations where privacy is an issue, such as in schools.
To learn more about thermal imaging, please download the white paper