Thermal Camera with Isadora ?

David

Dear all,

for an upcoming Out door show I'd like to use a thermal Camera to track moving cars and pedestrians at night over 50 ft.

Can you recommend camera's and how to get the video feed into Isadora.

Or what other solution would you use ?

Thank you all

David

jhoepffner

@david

Hello David,

I saw a performance by Marc Moreau in London using a thermal camera, nice result but VERY expansive!

Some are outputing HDMI so you can use a blackMagic card and track it in Isadora.

bonemap

Hi David,

I use a FLIR thermal camera that is about a decade old now. It has analogue output and proprietary IP output for a surveillance/security system integration (I haven't implemented that part of it). The resolution of the camera is around 160 x 120, with a 52° lens it is a quick set-up for tracking performers. I have used it mostly ceiling rigged and from a 6 mtr height I can track an area roughly 6 x 4.5 mtr. The camera is very robust and I have never had to have it serviced and it has never failed. So I can recommend FLIR cameras from that experience. The FLIR VSR 6 is no longer in production and might not have the field of view that you require, or the resolution. I use simple cat 5 baluns to get the thermal video signal to a I/O unit and into Isadora for tracking.

Best Wishes

Russell

mark_m

@jhoepffner said:

I saw a performance by Marc Moreau in London using a thermal camera, nice result but VERY expansive!

Indeed you did!

We used a FLIR T640 which we hired for one day. I had to insure it for GBP 25,000, which was the replacement cost! The hire cost was £100 / day, and the insurance - just for one day - was pretty expensive.

It was *very* accurate and could give us images with a colour range over just a couple of degrees C. We wanted to show how the temperature of the muscles in the body change when one holds a handstand for as long as possible (just four minutes I think, in the video below. Natalie must have been having an off day: usually she can hold a handstand for twice that long!!).

The resolution was only 640 x 480, and we seldom got above 12 fps. It did have DVI / HDMI out, but we couldn't afford to keep the camera long enough to use it live!! What Jacques saw was recorded. If we ever get some serious funding I would like to work with a FLIR T1020, which does 720p over HDMI.

@David happy to answer any questions you might have, but I think our use and yours are very different!!

jandraka

@david

Hi David,

I don't know if it has a range of 50 ft but I use the OpenMV camera and do the tracking directly. The sensor is a FLIR Lepton 3.5 (160x120) with shutter and costs 199$; the camera is cheaper. For exterior you would have to make a box or something similar.
Best