Benefits of IR/visible fusion

Abstract

Thermographers have always wanted an infrared camera that produces images with both a wide field of view (FOV) and detailed spatial resolution. An infrared-only camera with this combination is prohibitively expensive for most applications. A less expensive way of providing both features in a single camera is to blend a wide FOV visible image with a smaller FOV infrared image. The major benefit of this combination is that thermographers can pinpoint and identify infrared problem areas in a clear visible picture. A commercial camera with this innovative IR/visible fusion technology was introduced in the paper Commercial Fusion Camera presented at the ThermoSense XXVIII (Volume 6205, paper 6205-18, 2005) Maintenance technicians now have a direct correlation between a visible picture and an infrared identified problem area. Building inspectors can use this technology to advantage in negotiating and litigating problems. This paper reports progress on applications since the presentation of last year's paper, and illustrates new thermography examples that benefit from this cost-effective approach to thermal image fusion.