What is the difference between night vision and thermal imaging?
Night vision is familiar to most of us. In spy movies and undercover gadgets, this once military-grade technology takes the place of weapons. Who among the secret agents didn’t wear night-vision goggles while on a stakeout? Apart from movie cliches, what exactly is night vision? Also, what is the difference between thermal imaging and night vision?
Evenings are the riskiest times to drive. Headlights are of little help in the dark since your vision is severely limited. Sometimes, they provide insufficient time to react when hazards like animals or pedestrians present themselves on the road and make things worse in heavy rain or fog. How can we drive more safely in the dark and stormy weather? What’s the best solution?
A night vision camera suggests one possible solution. They might be able to help you see in the dark under certain circumstances. This is a technology you are probably familiar with, as it was once only available to military units, but nowadays is found in smartphones and in basic surveillance systems for the home. As for making driving at night more straightforward, it is sadly inadequate when compared to more advanced technology.
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In order to compare thermal imaging and night vision, you first need to understand how each technology works on its own.
What is night vision and how does it work?
The technology used by night vision devices is the same as that used by standard cameras but with increased magnification. A night vision system scans the scene for visible light and absorbs it. Images with a greenish hue are portrayed when the light is magnified. The term “image intensifier” is also used to describe a night vision device.
Night vision image intensifiers work by enhancing the light available to a camera in the dark. The brightness of ambient light, such as moonlight or stars, and light from distant sources is magnified and appears as greenish images. Despite its popularity in movies, video games, and TV shows, this technology is also used in real-life scenarios when the military, law enforcement, and hunters detect wildlife such as deer in wooded areas at night.
There is one major problem with night vision image intensifiers, which is that they lose their effectiveness as nearby light decreases. This means that if clouds and overcast block the moon and stars, the night vision image will become increasingly blurry. It is also difficult to see clearly if there is fog or heavy rain, as both reflect light off different surfaces.
Despite the perception that image intensifiers are high-tech, they are just as low-tech as a standard camera, and some find the green filter challenging to see clearly. Generally, they are cheaper than thermal cameras and only work when there are light and clear conditions.
What is thermal imaging and how does it work?
Infrared imaging, or thermal imaging, uses infrared scanners to detect the heat signatures of objects as compared to the heat signatures of objects around it and translates that information into images where the things that have higher heat signatures are clearly highlighted and visible. There are many uses for this technology in various contexts, but not everyone knows how significantly beneficial it is.
In addition to the fact that thermal imaging cameras operate without light, they have many other advantages. Thermal imaging cameras don’t suffer from extreme weather conditions. Whether it is overcast, foggy, smokey, or dusty, thermal imaging cameras always produce accurate, clear images. Through heat signature analysis, thermal imaging cameras detect potential road hazards. By using this feature, it makes this night vision device stand out from the rest of the competition on the market. In some cases, law enforcement might use a thermal imaging camera to locate suspects hidden in shrubbery or dimly lit places at night.
Thermal cameras also feature infrared sensors with an extremely wide range of detection. The thermal camera on your car can see up to three thousand feet beyond the range of your headlights. It is vital for any driver to have this distance in order to increase reaction time when faced with unexpected obstacles on the road.
Compared to night vision cameras, thermal imaging cameras have just one apparent drawback: they are more expensive. Thermal imaging cameras have, however, become increasingly affordable. They are now available to everyone, from the military to the general public.
Thermal Imaging and Night Vision: Differences
Thermal imaging differs from night vision in the following ways:
• Thermal imaging does not require nearby visible light to function. There is no light requirement for thermal imaging.
• Night vision is based on amplifying visible light near the object. By detecting the temperature differences between objects, thermal imaging makes use of infrared sensors.
• Green-tinted images are produced when a scene is magnified and then translated into night vision. Heat signatures are translated into clear images by thermal imaging, which shows objects that have a high heat signature as yellow, orange, or red.
• In conditions such as dust, smoke, rain, and fog, night vision is impaired. This is not the case with thermal imaging, which is able to see in complete darkness.
• Even though night vision has plenty of uses, it is outdated technology that is both cheaper and lower quality than other options. Although more expensive than other options, thermal imaging is one of the best tools available for increasing safety at night and is still relatively affordable.
Thermal Imaging vs. Night Vision: which one is better
You can see that thermal and night vision cameras have a lot of notable differences, but the thermal camera is the best for nighttime driving safety. Its extensive range, infallible heat detection, and clear images will give you more peace of mind by increasing your response time to obstacles on the road at night. Thermal imaging cameras, however, can be used for much more than just driving at night.
Considering thermal vision vs. night vision in vehicles, what we’re really trying to understand is the amount of time a driver has to react to potential hazards. Typical night vision cameras, whether they are built into some high-end vehicles or added as an aftermarket option, usually have vision fields of about a few hundred feet, and that assumes that there is enough light to provide reliable imaging in the first place.
If the driver of a vehicle at night is traveling at 60 mph when a form of danger enters the path of that vehicle, that extra 2,500 feet or so – nearly a half-mile – will provide approximately 25 seconds of additional reaction time. That is a reasonable amount of time for most people to react to something. By contrast, the exact speeding vehicle may only provide the driver with around 5-6 seconds of reaction time when seeing in the dark.
We cannot ignore the fact that seconds and inches save lives. In our view, the choice between night vision and infrared is not challenging. People may not yet understand thermal vision or worry that it may be more costly, but one accident avoided is more than worth the extra cost. It would be best if you considered thermal imaging vs. night vision in this way when considering thermal vs. night vision technology because this is what this technology is for in the first place.
Thermal Imaging Cameras: Where Can One Use This Technology?
People and businesses alike benefit from the superior night-seeing and detection capability of thermal imaging (or infrared) cameras.
Some of the popular applications for thermal imaging cameras are:
• Providing high visibility in low-light situations: The infrared camera provides high visibility in low-light scenarios, making it ideal for nighttime driving. Rural and mountainous areas, as well as forests where wildlife is more prevalent, are particularly vulnerable to wildlife injuries. It also applies to people who live in heavily populated areas like cities and suburbs, where there are likely to be more pedestrians, and there may be pets wandering the streets.
• Fathers and Mothers: It is normal for parents to get nervous when their child must drive at night. If you have a child who has been learning to drive or has driven for some time, you will feel the same way. There can be anything that happens on the road at any time, but infrared cameras provide parents with peace of mind and an extra level of protection.
• Owners of high-end vehicles: People who drive luxury cars, RVs, company cars, or high-end trucks that haul valuable assets like boats or other cargo should make sure their vehicles are protected against any threats. Any attempt to keep these vehicles safe is simply smart asset protection, especially at the most dangerous time of day to drive (at night).
• The industries that employ nighttime drivers: In the industry of freight transportation, there are many industries that utilize drivers at night, some of which can prevent collision injuries by installing infrared cameras on their vehicles.
• Law enforcement and military use: Military and police organizations can utilize infrared cameras not only for driving but also for detecting subjects in low-visibility conditions, spotting concealed weapons on suspects, and tracking in pursuits.
• As a firefighter: Infrared cameras can detect fires, the worst spots of intensity, and can reveal doors that should not be entered due to fires on the other side, as a firefighter. The benefit of these cameras is that they still work when there are thick layers of smoke surrounding the area of the fire.
• Infrared cameras for hunters: Infrared cameras (instead of night vision) can be used during night hunting to locate prey in stakeouts and can help hunters detect animals in deep brush, over water, or in forests that are hidden.
At the end of thermal imaging night vision
Did you know that businesses have also used thermal imaging cameras to detect fevers during the COVID-19 pandemic?
We hope that you have learned about the differences between thermal imaging and night vision by reading this article. Choosing one depends on what you primarily need to do, but thermal imaging is way better than night vision technology.
