Why Thermal Security Cameras Provide Enhanced Protection

Thanks to advances in processing power and software, video surveillance and security camera systems have both come down in price and significantly increased their capabilities in the past decade. Increasingly, businesses and organizations small and large are finding it cost-effective to implement video monitoring solutions.

Camera features such as night-vision were once the exclusive province of expensive solutions, yet that technology has become widely available now even in consumer DIY security cameras. Most of these cameras take in low light and amplify it significantly, which results in a fuzzy, "noisy" image. To get a better image, the cameras use a near-infrared light beam to reflect more light off the object for the camera to "see."

Thermal security cameras see in a very different way and are often found in high-security applications. Keep reading to learn how they can enhance security around your property and premises in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

SEE MORE: Is Your Business Addressing These Security Threats?

 

Thermal Imaging

All cameras essentially capture images off of reflected light. In a pitch-black environment – without the addition of night vision – a camera might not capture much of anything. Cameras depend on that contrast to show an image.

Thermal cameras don't see based on reflected light. Instead, as their name suggests, they detect heat. A thermal image is essentially a heat map. Every object that the camera tracks has a heat signature, which can be higher or lower than others relative to it. This is how a thermal camera creates its own contrast rather than relying on the light; it makes a map image of heat signatures relative to each other. A car will have a heat signature, and a human will have one too.

Why is Thermal Imaging Better?

Thermal cameras need no light at all to detect different objects in an image based on the heat signatures. It works all day long, with light or without. For high-security environments like airports, shipping ports, border areas, and warehouses with high-value or hazardous contents, they provide an extra measure of security. What's more, the heat-sensitive cameras can also offer increased safety for locations that might have increased fire hazard, as the cameras could detect heat and send an alarm before a situation becomes dire.

Thermal imaging is also unaffected by other environmental factors that can blind other cameras. Fog or smoke can render non-thermal cameras almost useless in the dark. Heat detection can cut through these visual blocks and still detect movement and objects. When coupled with artificial intelligence-powered video analytics, thermal cameras are a strong safety and security solution.

 

ASAP Security Services offers integrated technology solutions for comprehensive security and safety. To learn more about thermal security cameras, we invite you to set up a consultation with our team by calling (877) 418-ASAP, filling out our contact form, or starting a live chat with us below. We look forward to working with you!