Novel super-resolution thermal imaging technique

Louise Davis

FLIR Systems has published a technical note describing how its UltraMax technology combines the information from multiple original thermal images into an image with higher resolution and less noise.

As a result, UltraMax images produced on FLIR Tsc-series cameras are clearer and larger, enabling better thermal analysis of even small details.

Because the technique generates an increased number of pixels covering the same target area, UltraMax also decreases measurement spot size.

As a result you can achieve greater measurement accuracy particularly on small details.

Unlike alternative image scaling techniques, such as interpolation and pixel averaging, UltraMax uses natural movement to capture an image set in which each image is slightly offset from the others. This results in a wealth of data that is much greater than any one image could provide.

The data is combined to form an image that includes many more pixels of the target, resulting in a resolution greater than that of the original thermal imaging camera detector.

The data is also used to create a clearer image, since pixel noise can be reduced through comparing similar points in multiple images.

UltraMax technology is able to capture 16 thermal images in less than one second. These are stored on a FLIR thermal imaging camera as a single jpg file, and will appear as one image when viewed on the camera or in software.

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