Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter
Uncooled thermal infrared sensors are increasingly being deployed on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for agriculture, forestry, wildlife surveys, and surveillance. The acquisition of thermal data requires accurate and uniform testing of equipment to ensure precise temperature measurements. We modified...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Drones |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/119 |
| _version_ | 1797505343632179200 |
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| author | Jacob Virtue Darren Turner Guy Williams Stephanie Zeliadt Matthew McCabe Arko Lucieer |
| author_facet | Jacob Virtue Darren Turner Guy Williams Stephanie Zeliadt Matthew McCabe Arko Lucieer |
| author_sort | Jacob Virtue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Uncooled thermal infrared sensors are increasingly being deployed on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for agriculture, forestry, wildlife surveys, and surveillance. The acquisition of thermal data requires accurate and uniform testing of equipment to ensure precise temperature measurements. We modified an uncooled thermal infrared sensor, specifically designed for UAS remote sensing, with a proprietary external heated shutter as a calibration source. The performance of the modified thermal sensor and a standard thermal sensor (i.e., without a heated shutter) was compared under both field and temperature modulated laboratory conditions. During laboratory trials with a blackbody source at 35 °C over a 150 min testing period, the modified and unmodified thermal sensor produced temperature ranges of 34.3–35.6 °C and 33.5–36.4 °C, respectively. A laboratory experiment also included the simulation of flight conditions by introducing airflow over the thermal sensor at a rate of 4 m/s. With the blackbody source held at a constant temperature of 25 °C, the introduction of 2 min air flow resulted in a ’shock cooling’ event in both the modified and unmodified sensors, oscillating between 19–30 °C and -15–65 °C, respectively. Following the initial ‘shock cooling’ event, the modified and unmodified thermal sensor oscillated between 22–27 °C and 5–45 °C, respectively. During field trials conducted over a pine plantation, the modified thermal sensor also outperformed the unmodified sensor in a side-by-side comparison. We found that the use of a mounted heated shutter improved thermal measurements, producing more consistent accurate temperature data for thermal mapping projects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:18:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8e436f07a634968985c5a5f89cf221e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-446X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:18:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Drones |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8e436f07a634968985c5a5f89cf221e2023-11-23T07:57:22ZengMDPI AGDrones2504-446X2021-10-015411910.3390/drones5040119Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated ShutterJacob Virtue0Darren Turner1Guy Williams2Stephanie Zeliadt3Matthew McCabe4Arko Lucieer5School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, AustraliaSchool of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, AustraliaAeroSpec, Sumner, Queensland 4074, AustraliaAeroSpec, Sumner, Queensland 4074, AustraliaClimate and Livability Initiative, King Abdullah University of Science of Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi ArabiaSchool of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, AustraliaUncooled thermal infrared sensors are increasingly being deployed on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for agriculture, forestry, wildlife surveys, and surveillance. The acquisition of thermal data requires accurate and uniform testing of equipment to ensure precise temperature measurements. We modified an uncooled thermal infrared sensor, specifically designed for UAS remote sensing, with a proprietary external heated shutter as a calibration source. The performance of the modified thermal sensor and a standard thermal sensor (i.e., without a heated shutter) was compared under both field and temperature modulated laboratory conditions. During laboratory trials with a blackbody source at 35 °C over a 150 min testing period, the modified and unmodified thermal sensor produced temperature ranges of 34.3–35.6 °C and 33.5–36.4 °C, respectively. A laboratory experiment also included the simulation of flight conditions by introducing airflow over the thermal sensor at a rate of 4 m/s. With the blackbody source held at a constant temperature of 25 °C, the introduction of 2 min air flow resulted in a ’shock cooling’ event in both the modified and unmodified sensors, oscillating between 19–30 °C and -15–65 °C, respectively. Following the initial ‘shock cooling’ event, the modified and unmodified thermal sensor oscillated between 22–27 °C and 5–45 °C, respectively. During field trials conducted over a pine plantation, the modified thermal sensor also outperformed the unmodified sensor in a side-by-side comparison. We found that the use of a mounted heated shutter improved thermal measurements, producing more consistent accurate temperature data for thermal mapping projects.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/119thermal mappinginfraredtemperature measurementsFLIR Vue Pro Rthermal capture calibratorUAV |
| spellingShingle | Jacob Virtue Darren Turner Guy Williams Stephanie Zeliadt Matthew McCabe Arko Lucieer Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter Drones thermal mapping infrared temperature measurements FLIR Vue Pro R thermal capture calibrator UAV |
| title | Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter |
| title_full | Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter |
| title_fullStr | Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter |
| title_short | Thermal Sensor Calibration for Unmanned Aerial Systems Using an External Heated Shutter |
| title_sort | thermal sensor calibration for unmanned aerial systems using an external heated shutter |
| topic | thermal mapping infrared temperature measurements FLIR Vue Pro R thermal capture calibrator UAV |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/119 |
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