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As a tech gadgets‘ lover, you might have been experienced both thermal camera phone and night vision phone. They usually appear in the market as rugged mobile phones. However, if you haven’t experienced them yet, here is a guide for learning the difference between thermal imaging and infrared night vision.

Thermal imaging and infrared (IR) night vision are two different technologies used for detecting objects in low-light conditions. While both technologies use infrared radiation to detect objects, they work on different principles and have different applications.
Thermal imaging works by detecting the heat signatures of objects. Every object emits a certain amount of heat energy, which is known as thermal radiation. Thermal imaging cameras detect this radiation and convert it into an image that can be seen by the human eye. The hotter an object is, the more thermal radiation it emits, and the brighter it appears on the thermal image. But you can’t see what the object really looks like. Shown as the left side of the picture.
IR night vision, on the other hand, works by detecting the reflected IR radiation from objects. IR night vision cameras emit a beam of IR radiation and then detect the reflected radiation from objects in their field of view. The camera then processes this reflected radiation and converts it into a visible image. The difference with a thermal image is, you can see what the object really looks like. Shown as the right side of the picture. The IR night vision camera can also be used to detect hidden cameras too, like Blackview BV8800 night vision smartphone.

One of the main advantages of thermal imaging is that it can detect objects regardless of lighting conditions. It can even detect objects that are hidden behind walls or other obstacles, as long as they emit enough heat energy to be detected. It can also be used to see through smokes, like rescue in fire. This makes it useful for a wide range of applications, including surveillance, search and rescue, agriculture, and industrial inspections.
IR night vision, on the other hand, is better suited for detecting objects in complete darkness. This makes it useful for military applications, such as night-time operations or surveillance.
In summary, while both thermal imaging and IR night vision use infrared radiation to detect objects, they work on different principles and have different applications. Thermal imaging is better suited for detecting objects regardless of lighting conditions, while IR night vision is better suited for detecting objects in complete darkness.
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