FLIR – Forward Looking Infrared

FLIR is a special application of infrared cameras. Here, absolute temperature values are not displayed; only temperature differences in the form of a black and white image.

The aim is to allow objects to be identified within an image due to their temperature. The main area of application of FLIR is in the recognition of people, even in darkness or poor visibility. Originally developed for military purposes, today this technology is also employed in a civilian context. A typical example is searching for missing persons from the air, where the cameras are either mounted on the underside of a helicopter or on a drone.