Thermal detection contrast of human targets
There is an emerging interest in using thermal IR to automatically detect human intruders over wide areas. Such a capability could provide early warning beyond the perimeter at fixed sites, and could be used for portable security around mobile military assets. Sandia National Laboratories has been working on automatic detection systems based on the thermal contrast and motion of human intruders for several years, and has found that detection is sometimes difficult, depending on solar and other environmental conditions. Solar heating can dominate human thermal radiation by 100 fold, and dynamic background temperature changes can limit detector sensitivity. This paper explains those conditions and energy transfer mechanisms that lead to difficult thermal detection. We will not cover those adverse conditions that are more widely understood and previously reported on, such as fog, smoke, rain and falling snow. This work was sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency. 6 Refs.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOD; Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 7239706
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-91-2938C; CONF-9210111-2; ON: DE92016794
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International Carnahan conference on security technology, Atlanta, GA (United States), 14-16 Oct 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
BODY
INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY
INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOTION DETECTION SYSTEMS
HEAT LOSSES
HEAT TRANSFER
IMAGE PROCESSING
INFRARED RADIATION
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
SECURITY
TARGETS
ALARM SYSTEMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
LOSSES
MANAGEMENT
MEASURING METHODS
PROCESSING
RADIATIONS
THERMOGRAPHY
055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects
450000 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense
440500 - Thermal Instrumentation- (1990-)