Life-saving uncooled IR camera for use in firefighting applications

Mel V. Bennett; Iain Matthews

doi:10.1117/12.243495

27 June 1996 Life-saving uncooled IR camera for use in firefighting applications

Mel V. Bennett, Iain Matthews

Proceedings Volume 2744, Infrared Technology and Applications XXII; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243495
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing and Controls, 1996, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

A recent description by a firefighter on the experience of entering a building that is on fire was to liken it to being blindfolded, then being lead to a maze and told there is a victim at the center which you have to recover. In simple terms, firefighters are totally blind and what they need are 'eyes' that can see in the dark and through dense smoke. The development of lightweight thermal cameras using uncooled IR staring arrays and a helmet mounted display has now given the firefighter the 'eyes' in such situations which means less time to achieve a rescue and enhanced personal safety for the firefighter. This paper gives details on the development of the uncooled array camera and how it's been configured to withstand the extreme temperature conditions encountered during a firefighting environment. Also, how the camera and display system have been designed to provide the firefighter with a helmet mounted configuration to enable total 'hands free' operation. This is followed by a description of the special tests required to prove that the complete system can survive in a fire environment and finally a short video which demonstrates how the system performs in real life situations.

Citation Download Citation

Mel V. Bennett and Iain Matthews "Life-saving uncooled IR camera for use in firefighting applications", Proc. SPIE 2744, Infrared Technology and Applications XXII, (27 June 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243495

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