It’s a thermo-revolution for security purposes.
Did you know many security installations are now starting to adopt the thermal camera as an effective solution for CCTV? In the past only installations with huge amounts of money and important things to protect such as the military could afford such technology, but thermography is rapidly approaching a point where companies with less money can now adopt thermal technology as an effective security measure.
The main point driving down the price of the thermal cameras is the evolution of the technology behind the actual cameras themselves. As time goes by, new technological innovations make the cameras easier to construct, ultimately reducing the price that is charged to the average consumer.
"Thermal imaging technology now is starting to approach the prices of megapixel cameras," said SightLogix CEO John Romanowich. "So, they’re really being very rapidly adopted and we’re seeing tremendous growth at this time. Thermal is going to be the new megapixel in terms of rapid market growth."
FLIR also reckon that the budding market and demand for the cameras is driving down the prices as well.
"More volume is driving prices down. Adoption is increasing primarily in a horizontal way," said Bill Klink, vice president of Flir’s security and surveillance business unit. "We’re seeing a broader range of people that are deploying thermal cameras. An example might be, a few years ago at higher price points, it was only longer range port security or critical infrastructure-type applications. Now you’re seeing, because thermal cameras are coming down in price, the wider use of that technology down into more common industrial and business park scenarios. Everybody’s got a perimeter… and people in a much broader fashion are deploying thermal cameras in their perimeter applications."
Thermal cameras used for security purposes are an extremely effective tool. Thanks to their ability to detect infrared radiation rather than conventional light, a thermal camera can be used effectively in both day and night-time scenarios to provide a comprehensive view of the environment.
Imagine, for example, a factory with CCTV installed. A man tries to break into the factory, but because it’s dark, the CCTV camera can’t detect anything going on. A thermal security camera would see the man’s body heat and he would clearly be shown on the camera trying to break in, allowing security personnel to quickly locate him. Many thermal cameras are also remotely controllable, meaning that if the criminal is hiding, the camera can still see his body heat whereas a normal camera could miss his hiding spot.
