SPIE - Education Quantitative Imaging with Uncooled Infrared Cameras SC1212

Within the infrared community, it is widely held that uncooled sensors are incapable of doing accurate quantitative work. This course aims to show that quantitative imaging is actually possible with uncooled systems by demonstrating the steps to achieve radiometric calibration in detail and establishing the limits of what can be achieved. Throughout the course, the emphasis is on material that is practical for camera users, rather than for detector designers. The course material provides a thorough introduction into microbolometer pixel design and clarifies the differences between uncooled infrared sensors and photon-integrating sensors. Many of the examples provided are drawn from outdoor measurements, and the course provides a discussion of how to model atmospheric effects on infrared sensing in order to make sense of the thermal infrared world. Examples of quantitative measurements are drawn from the author’s work in infrared gas imaging, atmospheric sensing, and imaging of thermal dynamics.