The entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation ranging from radio waves (low frequency or high wavelength) up to gamma rays (high-frequency or the wavelength extremely reduced). The human eye is able to perceive, however, only a portion relatively limited: this portion, called the visible spectrum, includes all the electromagnetic waves of a frequency between 428THz and 749THz (corresponding respectively to the wavelengths of 700nm and 400nm) that represent the light radiation of red color and the radiation of the violet color. As is easy to see, at frequencies below the 420THz is infrared radiation, at higher wavelengths the 749THz is ultraviolet radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation is, generally speaking, a transfer of energy. This means that the heat emitting bodies radiate electromagnetic waves in the environment. Up to a certain temperature (which depends on the characteristics and physical properties of the body), or until it occurs the phenomenon of incandescence, the wavelength of these waves, however, is inferior to 420THz, and then falling back in the spectrum of 'infrared, invisible to the human eye. The human eye is not, therefore, able to perceive the heat emission of a body when this occurs within certain temperatures which depend from the body itself.
There are some areas where, however, the ability to visually perceive the heat emission of a body is necessary or even useful. The technology has been able to respond, over the years, this need by designing thermal cameras, ie cameras equipped with sensors capable of detecting the electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum. To these was added the technique of thermography, or the visual representation of the emission of heat from a body.
A thermal camera, even the most basic, is however very expensive. For this reason they are used usually in the professional context such as the construction field and ingeneristico (to verify the correct isolation of the environments, any losses in pipes or generally verify the presence of the hot elements in the critical structures), in the areas of emergency example, to verify the presence of living beings in situations poor visibility (in the dark, behind a blanket of smoke and so on) or in particular uses natural for the presence of animals in particular environments.
In order to make thermography accessible to a wider audience Flir, aziendaspecializzata in the creation of tools for detecting thermal, devised Flir One, an accessory for iPhone 5 / 5S that turns your smartphone into a portable camera.
Thanks to MSX (Multispectral Imaging) Flir One merges the thermal image with the real picture to depict thermographic more detailed, allowing the user to better distinguish profiles and shapes of the elements within the image. E 'should be noted that the representation thermographic image is relativized to what you are framing. The colors are not so tied to a particular temperature: the image goes yellow to indicate the hottest item among those graded, and from blue to indicate the coldest. The representation is then updated is determined in a real time at each shot change.
Flir One allows to obtain reliable readings up to a distance of one hundred meters, but does not allow to detect information behind walls, walls or glass plates as they go to shield the infrared irradiation of the bodies. However, allows to reveal the presence of bodies behind curtain of smoke or fog, as well as in the dark.
And 'interesting to note that over the application base, Flir also offers three other applications that allow you to extend the use of Flir One. Always on the App Store, for free, you can download Flir One TimeLapse, which allows you to observe the change in temperature of a body over time, Flir One Paint to create suggestive pictures converting thermographic representation only specific areas of a photo, and finally Flir One Panorama, to create panoramic photos thermography.
The possibility of using FLIR One, although of a niche, are very different and in addition to the examples that we have done in the opening, the same Flir suggests for example the possibility of exploiting the accessory is in a personal context, both in the professional context for maintenance work or home to check for proper insulation of rooms and buildings, as well as for leisure activities using such Flir One for hunting camera. Since the list price of 349 Euro it seems still a device more suited and designed for the professional or the one who can exploit the potential of Flir One for their work.
Important, of course, but the list price that is significantly reduced, especially in relation to the price of the cheapest entry-level thermal imager Flir the same, that is sold around 250 Euros. We find, however, limiting the compatibility with the only iPhone 5 and 5S, especially against the availability on the market of iPhone 6:06 Plus a few months ago.