printer friendly version

A thermal border

Like many cutting-edge technologies, thermal imaging was first developed for military use in the 1950s and 1960s when the US successfully introduced cooled infrared detectors onto missiles. Infrared detectors eventually evolved into thermal imaging technology, which has made its way into non-military applications and is now widely used in various areas such as industrial inspections, medical diagnoses, and in satellites.

An important milestone in the advancement of this technology was the invention of uncooled infrared detectors, which enabled cheaper and easier to maintain thermal imaging products to make their way to the general market for use in applications including security surveillance, forest fire prevention, and power plant monitoring.

Dahua Technology has developed thermal imaging devices with innovative functions that balance visible light with infrared, enabling the ability to effectively monitor an area under all lighting conditions. In addition, these functions include advanced capabilities such as intelligent temperature measurement, which further extends the scope of surveillance applications such as in detecting forest fires or quickly checking for passengers with high fevers at international airports.

Border security

Border security concerns not only the security of the country, but also the safety of citizens and their property. Traditional border monitoring systems still face many imperfections: First, a relatively small amount of patrols are employed to guard large areas, leading to gaps in coverage. In areas where cameras are used, there are often blind spots in their line of sight, such as tall grass or brush, or places beyond their range. Finally, when emergencies occur, responses can be slow and inefficient due to the scattered nature of guards and the need for manually sounding alarms.

Dahua has created a solution to tackle the challenges of border surveillance. For example, take a 100 km section of essentially unlit, wild border terrain. A thermal dome camera (TPC-SD8320) with 30x zoom can be installed every 1 km. It can quickly detect objects using thermal imaging and then confirm threats using visible light images. In this way, night monitoring difficulties can be completely overcome with infrared light. In total, just 100 cameras alternately placed on both sides of the border are necessary to provide full coverage.

Now, instead of a number of patrols working alone outside over a large area, a small team of workers can manage the border from a command centre, which features advanced automated functions. The centre is outfitted with an e-map, which shows the location and current sight line of each camera, allowing border workers to assess surveillance coverage in realtime.

When a camera detects someone entering a restricted area, it will automatically trigger an alarm while continuing to track the target. Staff can then alert the intruder and warn them with sirens. If needed, a team can then be quickly dispatched to confront the intruder with help from the command centre. In addition, intelligent route patrol allows operators to configure cameras to follow a set patrol route according to requirements and the terrain, decreasing the need for manual control.

If it is presumed that conventional monitoring methods are sufficient enough in dealing with threats, a tremendous amount of lives and possessions would be put at risk. Cutting-edge technologies are necessary to effectively prevent and respond to threats in the shortest duration possible. Dahua thermal imaging devices provide the tools required for ensuring security in a number of applications.

For more information, contact Zhejiang Dahua Technology, +86 571 8768 8883, [email protected], www.dahuasecurity.com

Share this article:

Further reading: