FLIR (forward looking infrared) technology, sometimes referred to as a thermal imager or infrared camera is a device that creates an image using infrared energy, similar to a conventional video camera that creates an image using visible light. Instead of using the 0.4 – 0.7 micron range of a visible light camera, infrared cameras operate in longer wavelengths that range from 3 - 5 micron to 8 - 12 micron.
FLIR technology can be a useful tool that allows you to see in complete darkness and through most weather conditions including rain, smoke, haze, and dense fog. Here we will explain the process of converting infrared energy into an image and displaying it on a monitor.
To create an image, the infrared camera uses a germanium lens to collect all of the infrared energy in a scene and focus it on to an infrared detector. The information is then sent to the image processing electronics which converts the data into a clean crisp image that can be displayed on a video monitor.