Hello, and welcome to your Monthly News Round Up for July. Who else can't quite believe we're here already? As we've been kindly reminded in the news this week, we're only four months away from Christmas now! Thankfully, this month's round up makes no mention of anything remotely festive, and instead features plenty of science, nature (and even some other-worldly beings) to keep you entertained. As ever, please feel free to share this post on your own social media feeds, and if you've spotted any other interesting stories you feel are worth a mention, we'd love to see them!
ARTICLES:
"Researchers develop new technique that could improve facial recognition performance" - BiometricUpdate.com: Researchers from the US Army Research Laboratory in Maryland have found that after mapping the face with thermal imaging, make-up and other cosmetics have no effect on the image. The team believe that a 'polarimetric-thermal-based system could significantly enhance facial recognition capability for surveillance or security applications'.
"Vancouver to use thermal imaging to identify energy inefficient homes" - MetroNews: This winter, the city of Vancouver are planning on launching a 'large scale thermal imaging program' to show the efficiency of homes in the city. Similar to Google StreetView, a vehicle equipped with a thermal imaging camera will drive through the city's streets taking images of between 12,000 and 15,000 homes. Homeowners will then receive their results along with information on how to improve their heat efficiency.
"Who you gonna call? The real-life ghost hunters" - BBC: BBC profile on the real life Ghostbusters of the US and the UK, who use thermal imaging as part of their ghost hunting kit. The thermal imaging cameras are used to 'try and capture any ghostly movement'.
"7 ways photonics will change your life" - Democrat and Chronicle: Article listing the various ways in which technology is impacting the world around us, from improved security at airports, to precision agriculture. The article includes a piece on how thermal imaging is enabling firefighters to map more accurately the direction in which a forest fire may spread.
"Seeing through the fog: thermal imaging cameras are key to effective surveillance in any conditions" - ITWeb: Article describing thermal imaging cameras as the 'ideal solution' to existing issues with standard CCTV security cameras. With their additional intelligence analytics, thermal imaging cameras provide 'visuals of entire perimeters and long-range views in all weather and lighting conditions for effective surveillance in any conditions'.
"Worth a look: Drones and thermal imaging cameras could change waterfowl research" - Grand Forks Herald: US conservation and waterfowl group Delta Waterfowl have been using drone mounted thermal imaging cameras to locate and record duck nests. The new technology makes research far more efficient, and allows researchers to spot nests in hard to reach areas.
VIDEOS:
"Can Drones Use Thermal Imaging to Save Fish?" - Roswell Flight Test Crew: Another great video from the Roswell Flight Test Crew. This time, the guys visited a farm in West Virginia, USA, to test a drone fitted with a thermal imaging camera in detecting variations in water temperature. The results of this will make it easier to identify areas of cold water thermal refugia, thereby aiding in 'habitat restoration for an endangered species of native brook trout'.
"Experiment/Mythbusting: Keypads and Thermal Imaging" - NLind: The picture may be a little shaky, but the premise of this video makes it worth watching. The creator came up with the idea of using his thermal camera to test heat signatures left by fingers, after seeing someone going through a door with a keypad lock on it. With various horror stories of fraud and stealing using the same method doing the rounds at the moment, the results certainly are interesting.
"Why thermal cameras are AWESOME!" - Thunderf00t: We love this video because this guy's enthusiasm is just so infectious! After using crowdfunding to raise money to buy this great piece of kit, the poster uses his thermal imaging camera for various silly body experiments, to great affect!
"Over and Above - Thermal Imaging Camera" - QEHB Charity: This month's heartwarming story comes from the QEHB Charity who, through generous donations, have been able to purchase a thermal imaging camera for Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for use in their burns unit. The camera will help to enable fast, effective treatment for patients with burns.
"Thermal imaging sequence of the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill" - PLOS Media: Following on from the discovery that Yellow-billed Hornbills living in the desert regulate their temperature using their beaks (as discussed in our May Monthly News Round Up), video footage has been released using thermal imaging to demonstrate how they do it.
"Pulsed Detonation Rocket Engine" - Telops: This was our most liked post of the month, and it's not hard to see why! Awesome thermal footage.
So there we are. We hope you enjoyed July's round up of the best from the world of thermal imaging. Enjoy your summer, and we'll see you next month!
If you have any questions or queries in the meantime, please get in touch. Call us on 01234 219421, drop a line to sales@thermascan.co.uk, or fill in our online contact form. We'd love to hear from you!