A building science which utilizes a device to measure surface temperature and create images from the data.
Three Common Questions:
<Q> Is the infrared camera emitting something?
<A> No, it is not emitting anything: It merely detects infrared emitted from an object in a passive manner. It should be noted, however, that it may be affected by the reflection from the vicinity.
<Q> Isn’t the temperature measured by the wave length allowing you to see an object behind something or through it, can’t you?
<A> No, temperature distribution is measured by the amount of infrared energy and the image is generated from the surfaces.
<Q> You can see an object behind something through it, can’t you?
<A> No, Because infrared emitted from the surface of an object is detected, you cannot see through something. However, you may be able to estimate the rear side if there is a temperature distribution appearing on the surface due to the difference in heat conductivity. The degree of Delta-T is important to the measured surfaces and will allow greater contrast.
Examples:
