Using Infrared Thermography For Automated Navigation
The future of vehicles probably lies in driverless or automated cars
. As exciting as it sounds, it may be difficult to comprehend how these vehicles will navigate without human intervention. And what about the times when other cars or objects come in the way?The answer lies in infrared thermography. Whether used on land, water or space, infrared technology is ideal for enhancing vision and automating navigation. Before we get to how exactly it helps, let"s first understand what infrared is.
What is Infrared Thermography?
There are various electromagnetic radiations that we encounter everyday, like ultraviolet light, radio frequency waves, X-rays and more. In fact, the only thing we perceive is visible light as it may be seen with the naked eyes. Infrared is also a type of radiation that falls between actual light and micro waves.
The basis of infrared is nothing but heat radiations or heat waves. Thus, when you use a specialized infrared camera or viewing device that is enabled with infrared, you are be able to see every object based on their heat emission. The process of converting these radiations into actual visuals on screen is known as infrared thermography.
How does it help in Navigation?
To help a vehicle navigate in different mediums, the infrared sensors and thermal imagers may be attached to it, strategically. Thus, you may find that headlights and taillights have these cameras that are attached to the internal mechanism. These devices offer a visual representation of infrared energy emitted by objects around the vehicle when in motion. This heat signal is in turn converted into an electronic signal. The electrical signal then steers vehicle into a safe direction in order to avoid collision.
Infrared technology is ideal for this as it works effectively in regular light, low light, smoke, fog and dust. So,whether the vehicle moves at night or in poor weather conditions, with use of IR devices, the possibility of accidents may be reduced. Currently, even a few high end cars have these devices installed in their systems. In fact, these are often used at low altitudes for missile targeting; proving that it works with same effect in different and extreme natural environments.
The future of travelling is about to change drastically with the advent of automated vehicles. And with infrared technology used along with, safety is also ensured.
by: Sam Jacob Thomas