make thermal imaging camera

[Mike]

Is it feasible to make a low cost (£/$100) thermal image camera? Anyone have a
design available, or know of somewhere that sells such a thing?
Tia

 

[Frithiof Andreas Jensen]

Is it feasible to make a low cost (£/$100) thermal image camera? Anyone have a
design available, or know of somewhere that sells such a thing?

I have often fantasized about building a Nipkow IR camera based on an
pyroelectric sensor. I haven't though enough to know if it is viable.

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

Is it feasible to make a low cost (£/$100) thermal image camera? Anyone have a
design available, or know of somewhere that sells such a thing?
Tia

What thermal imaging ?
Black and white cameras go into the near IR, and are therefore good
for rather high temperatures, say 800 Degrees up.

When you talk abou body temperature, 20degC, then the wavelengths
are in the 10um region. In order to get rid of the camera temperature
itself, they tend to run in liquid nitrogen/helium.
There are camera receivers, perhaps of the HgTe type,
yes, but the liquid gaz stuff is somewhat unhandy.

Rene

 

[Ian Stirling]

I have often fantasized about building a Nipkow IR camera based on an
pyroelectric sensor. I haven't though enough to know if it is viable.

The bandwidth sucks, and the sensitivity isn't great.
I suspect the easiest way may be a couple of r/c servos, and a lens
(frensel, polythene) and wiggle it under computer control.

 

[Jim Yanik]

What thermal imaging ?
Black and white cameras go into the near IR, and are therefore good
for rather high temperatures, say 800 Degrees up.

When you talk abou body temperature, 20degC, then the wavelengths
are in the 10um region. In order to get rid of the camera temperature
itself, they tend to run in liquid nitrogen/helium.
There are camera receivers, perhaps of the HgTe type,
yes, but the liquid gaz stuff is somewhat unhandy.

Rene

I believe Texas Instruments has a non-cooled IR sensor that responds to
body heat.A microbolometer design,IIRC. I've seen ads for "low-cost"
thermal vision units for firefighters to wear while fighting fires
indoors,helmet-mounted,or handheld.

 

[Scott Stephens]

Is it feasible to make a low cost (£/$100) thermal image camera? Anyone have a
design available, or know of somewhere that sells such a thing?
Tia

http://users.bestweb.net/~hobbs/footprints/fpspie11.pdf

--
Scott

**********************************

DIY Piezo-Gyro, PCB Drill Bot & More Soon!

http://home.comcast.net/~scottxs/

**********************************

 

[John Larkin]

Is it feasible to make a low cost (£/$100) thermal image camera? Anyone have a
design available, or know of somewhere that sells such a thing?
Tia

Considering that they sell for $8-30K, it seems unlikely.

You could probably build a very slow single-sensor, low resolution
mechanically-scanned thermal imager pretty cheap.

John

 

[Ian Stirling]

Considering that they sell for $8-30K, it seems unlikely.

You could probably build a very slow single-sensor, low resolution
mechanically-scanned thermal imager pretty cheap.

I suspect the sweet spot would be somewhere between 4 and 10 sensors, for
many applications.

 

[Mike]

I suspect the sweet spot would be somewhere between 4 and 10 sensors, for
many applications.

I found this site that sells thermal imageing cameras. They have one for $99 -
anyone have one? If so what do you think of the results?

http://store.spytowne.com/search--by-part-number-computar-thermal-imaging-cameras---accessories.html

(I am not associated with this site in any way)

 

[Ian Stirling]

I found this site that sells thermal imageing cameras. They have one for $99 -
anyone have one? If so what do you think of the results?

http://store.spytowne.com/search--by-part-number-computar-thermal-imaging-cameras---accessories.html

(I am not associated with this site in any way)

And apparently can't read descriptions very well either.
That's not a camera.

 

[Mike]

And apparently can't read descriptions very well either.
That's not a camera.

Well the heading says "Thermal Imaging Cameras and accessories" shows a BIG
picture of a camera and lists several items. Ok I guess it may be an accessory -
but if you go to that link it tells you sod-all apart from the fact it's a
"JTL-OPT4" a 24V option (for WHAT?) can ship in 2-3 days and will cost $99. Oh
yeah - I'll take a dozen of those then.

"And apparently can't read descriptions very well either", ideed! What
description for god's sake. Does saying that make you feel superior is some way?
You need help pal. Perhaps *you* can read a description of something from fresh
air - but then I suspect you've been sniffing the mushrooms (or something else)
again.

 

[Ian Stirling]

Well the heading says "Thermal Imaging Cameras and accessories" shows a BIG
picture of a camera and lists several items. Ok I guess it may be an accessory -
but if you go to that link it tells you sod-all apart from the fact it's a
"JTL-OPT4" a 24V option (for WHAT?) can ship in 2-3 days and will cost $99. Oh
yeah - I'll take a dozen of those then.

But, looking at the other items around that area makes it clear it's an
accessory.
All the thermal IR cameras on that page are over 5K.
A horrible page, but you can still be almost certain that it's not a camera,
any more than the "germanium lens" is.

 

[Palinurus]

I believe Texas Instruments has a non-cooled IR sensor that responds to
body heat.A microbolometer design,IIRC. I've seen ads for "low-cost"
thermal vision units for firefighters to wear while fighting fires
indoors,helmet-mounted,or handheld.

I recall that certain top-of-the-line Cadillacs began to come out with
thermal imagers coupled to a heads-up display a couple of years ago, as
an aid to night driving. The actual camera head is not extraordinarily
complex, but it has also not been much impacted by the economies of
scale, the same thing that changed simple calculators from expensive and
exotic to virtual throwaways. I suspect that the availability of thermal
cameras will ease in the future, but I too want it now.

 

[John Larkin]

All the thermal IR cameras on that page are over 5K.
A horrible page, but you can still be almost certain that it's not a camera,
any more than the "germanium lens" is.

Just the Ge lens is $1600, so even if you had a cheap detector array
you'd have to spend a bundle on the optics. Maybe a reflector would be
cheaper. The problem with a thermal imager is that everything looks
like a source; imagine building a visible-range camera that worked at
incandescent temperatures.

This area seems ripe for cheap consumer versions one of these days.

I'd love to have a thermal imager for production check of PC boards,
but they're still too expensive.

John

 

[Ian Stirling]

I recall that certain top-of-the-line Cadillacs began to come out with
thermal imagers coupled to a heads-up display a couple of years ago, as
an aid to night driving. The actual camera head is not extraordinarily
complex, but it has also not been much impacted by the economies of

I think that was near-visible IR imagers IIRC, not thermal.

 

[Ian Stirling]

Just the Ge lens is $1600, so even if you had a cheap detector array
you'd have to spend a bundle on the optics. Maybe a reflector would be
cheaper. The problem with a thermal imager is that everything looks
like a source; imagine building a visible-range camera that worked at
incandescent temperatures.

Germanium is nice, if you can get it.
Polythene just about works, if you use a frensel lens.
(see the hundreds of millions of them deployed worldwide)

I was thinking more of a close-packed array of PIR sensors. For exmaple
a zigzag line of sensors like

o o o o
o o o o

with a mechanical device to scan it.

I wonder if a silicon window would work.
0.3mm silicon is widely available.

A stainless parabolic mirror ...


0.

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

Germanium is nice, if you can get it.
Polythene just about works, if you use a frensel lens.
(see the hundreds of millions of them deployed worldwide)

I was thinking more of a close-packed array of PIR sensors. For exmaple
a zigzag line of sensors like

o o o o
o o o o

with a mechanical device to scan it.

thinkable. Thermopiles are also thinkable.

I wonder if a silicon window would work.
0.3mm silicon is widely available.

Germanium is used as IR window because it is transparent there.
Silicon appears not to be transparent, as there are no silicon
windows available.

A stainless parabolic mirror ...

The mirror would have to be held a a very low temperature
to be part of the image.

Rene

 

[Rajdeep shaktawat]

There are also so many training centers who teaches to make such industrial things. And many manufacturer to such industrial instruments like temperature sensors and Thermal Imaging Camera such as, http://accuratesensors.com/thermal-imager-thermeye160.html

 

[Rajdeep shaktawat]

There are also so many training centers who teaches to make such industrialthings. And many manufacturer produce such industrial instruments like temperature sensors and Thermal Imaging Camera such as, http://accuratesensors..com/thermal-imager-thermeye160.html

 

[John S]

There are also so many training centers who teaches to make such industrial things. And many manufacturer to such industrial instruments like temperature sensors and Thermal Imaging Camera such as, http://accuratesensors.com/thermal-imager-thermeye160.html

This is an ad by deep tawat?