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Application: SWIR Imaging Penetrates through Haze for Port and Homeland Security and Surveillance



InGaAs SWIR imagers are complimentary to thermal imagers when it comes to vision enhancement and low visibility in poor weather conditions. Imagery in the SWIR is similar to visible imagery, in that it senses reflected light, thus interpretation and scene analysis is improved over thermal systems. Thermal imagers have good detection abilities, and such imagers are a good compliment to the short wave infrared. While thermal imaging can detect the presence of a warm object against a cool background, a SWIR camera can actually identify what that object is (for example, ships, vehicles, and personnel).
Click here to view movies highlighting the superior performance of SWIR cameras penetrating through fog and haze. Movie shows a montage of images in both visible and SWIR of the San Francisco Bay Bridge as well as the fishermen at Berkeley.

 

I2CCD cameras do not provide the same clarity as SWIR cameras, especially through haze or fog.
The scene shown with a shortwave infrared camera can see ship details
An I2CCD camera surveying a ship in a harbor.
Surveying the same ship, the SWIR image is clearer, highlighting ship details.



This is especially important in both port and harbor security scenarios where fog and haze are a regular occurrence. Short wave infrared cameras can help with the detection and identification of floating objects or approaching ships. That's because thermal imagers do not provide the resolution and dynamic range of imaging possible with an InGaAs SWIR focal plane array.


A shortwave IR camera can penetrate fog and haze to provide you with an information-rich image, despite poor weather conditions.
A clear advantage of SWIR cameras is that they can penetrate through fog and haze in order to provide more information-rich imagery. Left, a landscape taken with a visible camera. Right, the same landscape taken with a Goodrich camera.

 

The short wave infrared can also aid in thermal cross over scenarios. Thermal crossover is simply a point where the temperature of the object you are trying to image is equivalent to the temperature of the background. For example, a human in warm water is difficult to detect with a thermal imager, as shown in the images below. At this point, a SWIR camera detects the reflected light, not the temperature - making the human body stand out.



SWIR cameras eliminate concerns of the thermal crossover phenomena.
MWIR imagers have difficulty detecting a target when it is close in temperature to its surroundings.
A short wave infrared camera can detect warm human bodies in water regardless of its temperature.
 A thermal camera will have difficulty imaging a warm human body in warm water, which is called thermal crossover.

Note how the shoreline below stands out, and captures more detail than a visible camera.



Point Loma, CA at sunrise. Goodrich SWIR cameras provide effective imaging day and night thus eliminating thermal crossover.

As an added benefit, Goodrich cameras require no cooling and can image day or night, eliminating the costly need to change a camera for day and night use. In order to serve a variety of security platforms, SWIR technology is rapidly advancing with better performance being offered in smaller packages. For more information on penetrating haze please click here.

Contact Goodrich to see how SWIR Imaging can meet your needs!

 


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