What is the difference between night vision devices and thermal imagers?
1 Answers
The differences between night vision devices and thermal imagers are as follows: 1. Different imaging effects: (1) Night vision devices and ordinary infrared thermal imagers provide completely different observation experiences. This is because ordinary night vision devices directly observe the target through the lens, so the field of view is similar to that seen through a telescope lens, with the image appearing green. If the clarity is sufficient, it is possible to identify who the person is and see their facial features clearly. (2) Infrared night vision thermal imagers display the image on an internal LCD screen rather than directly observing the target. The imaging of an infrared night vision thermal imager is based on temperature distribution, with higher temperatures appearing brighter and lower temperatures appearing darker. Its main purpose is to detect targets and identify their categories, such as whether the target is a person, animal, etc. 2. Different influences of light factors: (1) Second-generation night vision devices are significantly affected by environmental conditions due to their imaging principles, especially light. When the light dims, the observation distance shortens. In complete darkness, an auxiliary infrared light source is required, which generally has a maximum range of only 100 meters. They are also sensitive to strong light, even though many traditional night vision devices have strong light protection. However, significant changes in environmental brightness can greatly affect observation. (2) Infrared thermal imaging night vision devices are not affected by light. They can clearly observe target objects whether it is day or night, or during rain, snow, or fog. For this reason, top-tier automotive night vision systems, such as those used by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, employ infrared thermal imagers.
