The ultimate thermal camera comparison

28th July 2022

Teledyne FLIR

Sheryl Miles

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Thanks to multiple drivers, the market for infrared thermal imaging cameras and modules is expanding rapidly. It is expected to reach $8,761m in 2026 with a CAGR 2021-2026 of 7.2%.

According to Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group, in the Thermal Imaging and Sensing 2021 report, demand from defence applications is driving the infrared thermal imaging camera market.

Progressively more portable equipment is required for soldiers, such as thermal weapon sights and night vision goggles. ‘Smart city’ surveillance applications are also important.

Thermal camera technology is increasingly adopted by integrators thanks to cost decreases. It is also boosted by the democratisation of thermal imaging in industrial thermography. Finally, thermal imaging is becoming consumerised.

There are many products on the market. Users, integrators, and sensor manufacturers must discriminate between available products based on accurate and independent assessments of their performance and features.

In this context, Yole Intelligence’s partner, PISÉO, investigates disruptive thermal imaging technologies and evaluates the latest innovations.

PISÉO’s imaging team have released a comprehensive comparison of independent analyses of the main features, performance, and imaging system architectures of four thermal cameras:

InfiRay T3S camera module.
Teledyne FLIR BOSON 640 Pro camera.
Seek Thermal S309P 12µm x 12µm QVGA module.
InfiRay Micro III 384T camera module.

The four thermal cameras: Performance analysis has been based on physical measurements, calculations, simulations, and observations realised in PISÉO’s lab and compared with data provided in product datasheets.

This comparative report incorporates four previous studies, each dedicated to one of the tested cameras containing detailed performance analyses and explanations.

This study aims to help those involved in the thermal imaging camera and module market to understand the characteristics of such products better, enabling better strategic decision-making.

Olivier Andrieu, R&D Project Director, Mechatronic System Architect at PISÉO, asserts: “Thanks to its own standard protocol, PISÉO ran deep analyses of sensor performance and the embedded image processing algorithms of each camera”