Smartphone-based thermal cameras offer high performance

Data collection is automatic using the software on the attached smartphone with no need for an attached PC. The easy to learn interface handles all of the camera's functions and supports the instant analysis of thermal images and videos on the instrument itself.

The Fotric 220 Series of thermal cameras uses the highest quality components to insure long term reliability and service life, while its low power design provides up to ten hours of Li-ion battery operation. External power may be used for permanent installations. One useful feature of the series for routine thermal monitoring of equipment is the ability to scan a QR code that is attached to a machine or test object for automatically tagging and saving thermal images without any error-prone manual entries.

The images are time-stamped and relevant GPS location information is also available. Image distance as well as individual emissivities for up to 12 image sections can be entered to improve the temperature accuracy of differing scenes and materials.

AnalyzIR PC software is also provided free with these cameras for further in-depth analysis of each pixel of the images. R&D researchers as well as equipment maintenance technicians can use the video stream plotting and 3D visualisation of temperature images to note hot-spots and subtle temperature changes.

Picture-in-picture super-impositioning of the hot spot on a visual image of the scene helps to better identify the exact location of a problem. A choice of 15 colour palettes helps to make the thermal image most visually useful. Data can be automatically gathered, triggered by time, temperature, or an external signal, with threshold alarms available together with the automatic capture of high, low, and average temperature. Images can be annotated with voice or text memos, and data storage of up to 1TB is supported.

The Fotric 220 Series is available with imagers from 320x240 to 640x480 and a selection of Germanium lenses that focus down to 4" to suit differing applications, allowing temperature discrimination for as small as a 20um object. The cameras also feature a built-in 8x continuous digital zoom.

Typical applications for the 220 Series include: electronics (PCB and component analysis), biomedicine (experimental processes), automobile (tire fatigue, engine component malfunction), materials testing (fatigue, stress), medical (disease detection, heat dissipation), fire detection (pre-ignition, leakage), etc.