Thermal Drones and Cameras

Thermal Cameras For Search And Rescue

Drones with thermal cameras have literally proved the difference between life and death.

There are numerous stories from around the world where a drone with a thermal sensor has detected a heat source of a missing person - sometimes coming to the rescue after an on-the-ground search has failed.

A drone with a thermal camera can cover large areas of ground quickly and can find people who are missing in difficult-to-see locations, such as long grass or woodland.

The video on the right shows the moment Southport Lifeboat crew used a thermal drone to rescue six missing people from treacherous duneland - finding them in less than five minutes. It would have taken at least an hour to conduct the same search using a traditional foot patrol.

Drones such as the Mavic 2 Enterprise Series or the M300 RTK can also be integrated with loud-speakers to communicate with missing people, as part of the rescue mission.

Thermal Cameras For Firefighting

Thermal drone cameras are hugely beneficial for firefighting, providing an aerial view of the incident and helping to see through smoke and detect hotspots. This vital situational awareness - fueled by data-rich, real-time insights - drives better decision-making for better and safer incident response.

This image shows the advantages of using a thermal camera for fire and rescue. The thermal image of the same scene shows firefighters exactly where the hotspots are. It also confirms that the fire has not spread to the building below - information not clear using the visual data - which helps fire crews direct their efforts to the right part of the building.

Fire crews can also use thermal drones for HazMat operations.

Thermal Cameras For Inspection

A drone with a thermal camera is a powerful tool for utility and building inspections, capturing data which helps operators make informed and timely decisions to bring about efficient resolutions.

Thermal cameras can be used to spot missing or damaged installations, water under roof membranes, external electrical issues, failed windows, and many other problems.

In the case of solar panel inspections, drones with thermal cameras can identify manufacturing defects, cracks, faulty inter-connectors, and temporary shadowing.

One of the most powerful aspects of a thermal camera is that it can detect and highlight problems that can be missed during a visual inspection.

This example, from Keltbray, demonstrates the advantages of a thermal camera for powerline inspection. The thermal camera identified an overheating cable joint (left image); a defect not visible during the visual inspection.

Thermal Cameras For Agriculture

For years, farmers have walked their fields to monitor and analyse their crops. But this is changing with drones, and a UAV with a thermal camera can provide vital insights for agriculture.

For instance, optimising irrigation can be achieved by using thermal images to map the variability of water potential in the field.

Thermal cameras can also be used to detect water stress in crops, as stressed vegetation has an increased temperature.

Drones provide a fast and effective solution for capturing thermal data, which in turn can drive insights and boost agricultural processes.