Being able to see, even with no visible light and in difficult situations is essential in security. There are also plenty of other situations where you may need to be able to see images that aren’t visible to the naked eye, such as heat coming off equipment. When this needs to be done, you can rely on thermal cameras to be able to see what your eyes can’t.
Everything that is above absolute zero has a temperature of some level that can be detected by the right equipment. Temperature can be seen by a camera and the warmer the object is, the more visible the object will be on the camera.
The cameras are seeing thermal radiation that is emitted from objects. What we are talking about is thermal cameras and they can have a variety of benefits for your camera system.
Benefits of Thermal Cameras
Why would you need a thermal camera? Let’s take a look at the benefits that thermal cameras bring to the table.
Not Affected by Lighting
Lighting plays a major role in the ability to see with a traditional security camera. If there isn’t enough light or there is too much light, an image will be obscured. Thermal cameras work in any type of lighting situation as they rely completely on thermal radiation to be able to see.
Seeing Through the Weather
Weather can also prevent you from being able to see when using a traditional camera. Thermal cameras will be able to see through fog, snow, rain, and many other weather conditions. The only thing that can obstruct them is a heat source.
Better Video Analysis
A thermal image is better for analyzing objects, motion, and other aspects of the video. At least when it comes to having a computer analyze the image. The computer is better able to interpret a thermal image than to review a confusing image full of color and objects.
Further, security cameras with thermal vision are able to detect problems such as fires. Your traditional security camera is not easily able to detect objects such as fire.
Object Monitoring
With thermal imaging, you can do more than just monitor people or movement. Thermal security cameras are used to monitor the temperature in equipment such as substations and charging stations.
Dual Imaging
Some security cameras are able to watch more than just the thermal imaging. A good portion of the thermal cameras from Hikvision features both a thermal lens and a traditional lens. That means the computer, and you, can watch the thermal image when you need to but can also switch back to a traditional camera view that is more natural for the human eye.
Having a traditional security camera lens also allows for features that you can’t have with a thermal camera. A good example of this is facial recognition. Computers can’t recognize a face from a thermal image.
Flexible Deployment Option
Most security camera manufacturers do their best to make their systems very flexible. With Hikvision you can combine different cameras on one system. That means you do not need to have a separate system to have thermal cameras. As long as you combine compatible products, you can have it all on one system.
Thermal cameras from Hikvision have been out for a while now. The company has had the opportunity to refine their product and make plenty of advancements. While thermal cameras can be expensive, Hikvision takes great effort to create a fine line between affordability and maximum features.
Security camera systems are great but they do have their faults. Thermal cameras can help to make up for some of those faults and complete your coverage.
