Product category:
Vision and Colour Sensors
News Release from: Flir Systems | Subject: ThermaCAM B2
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 02 October 2006
IR camera adds life to exhibit
The new "Our World" exhibition at the Centre for Life in Newcastle explores how humans cope with different habitats and climates.
The new "Our World" exhibition at the Centre for Life in Newcastle explores how humans cope with different habitats and climates "From building igloos in the arctic, riding a rickshaw in New Delhi and searching for grubs in the desert, visitors experience some of the most challenging places on Earth", explains Director Linda Conlon
"They see how different environments mean different lifestyles for both humans and animals".
To understand how bitter cold affects the Inuit and intense heat affects Aborigines, microclimates are created in the exhibition.
The effects of these temperature extremes on the visitor are captured and shown thermographically.
And to achieve this, the Centre for Life sought the professional guidance of thermal imaging specialist Thermascan of Bedford.
"Apart from accurate temperature measurement we needed a camera with a video output providing a strong, clear image", explained Thermascan's David Blain.
"A wide-angle lens option was also deemed important to capture as many visitors on screen as possible".
These factors singled out a Flir Systems ThermaCAM infra-red camera as the best candidate for the job and as only the temperature span of the human body needed to be measured, the ThermaCAM B2 was recommended.
Although primarily an infra-red camera designed for building inspection, the tight 0-100C temperature range of the ThermaCAM B2 makes it equally suitable for medical and veterinary applications.
Even lower end cameras in the ThermaCAM range offer exchangeable lenses and the ThermaCAM B2 is no exception.
It is a feature that is unavailable on competitor's cameras of a similar type.
As a result the Centre for Life's camera could be supplied with the required wide-angle lens as a standard option.
"All the other cameras they considered for the job were too rigid in their set-up", Blain continued.
"However, whilst the Centre for Life needed flexibility they also had a limited budget and we were therefore pleased to be able to meet all the needs of the application at the right price".
The GBP 3 million exhibition was funded by ReDiscover, a renewal fund for science centres and museums that is supported by the Millennium Commission and the Wellcome Trust.
The fixed mounted ThermaCAM B2 now provides visitors to the Centre for Life with an instant and colourful impression of how our species reacts to temperature variants.
For example it shows how, in the freezing cold, the human body restricts blood flow to the extremities to help keep the core temperature high enough to protect vital organs.
And how by putting on reindeer skin boots lined with grass the feet will avoid frostbite.
Conversely it demonstrates how by the careful choice of clothing people can protect themselves from overheating in the desert.
Layered clothing for example creates a barrier of cooler air between the body and the environment.
This air moves around as the person walks, cooling them down and reducing the amount of water lost by sweating.
It's not all about humans either.
The shovel-snouted lizard for example dances over the hot sand.
It props itself up on its tail and holds up a front foot and back foot.
Then it swaps, lifting up the opposite pair of feet when they get hot.
This too is captured thermographically at the Centre for Life.
Our World Project Manager Andy Lloyd concludes: "The exhibition presents science, technology, culture and tradition as rich mix to reflect people's experiences in the real world".
"How we and other animals can adapt to changing climatic conditions is an important lesson and one which infra-red is eminently suited to demonstrate". Request a free brochure from Flir Systems ...
• Flir Systems: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
