infrapunatekniikka

Infrapunatekniikka is a Finnish term referring to technologies and techniques that use infrared radiation for imaging, sensing, and analysis. The field encompasses both passive methods, which detect heat emitted by objects, and active methods, which illuminate scenes with infrared light and measure the reflected or scattered radiation. It covers a range of applications from photography to industrial inspection and scientific research.

Infrared radiation occupies wavelengths longer than visible light, typically from about 0.78 micrometers to 1 millimeter. Infrapunatekniikka distinguishes several subfields by wavelength: near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR). Thermal infrared imaging often relies on LWIR, where objects are visualized by their emitted heat rather than reflected light. Detectors include cooled photodiode-based sensors (such as HgCdTe and InSb) and uncooled microbolometer arrays, with cameras that may require cooling or operate uncooled depending on the wavelength range and sensitivity.

Key techniques within infrapunatekniikka include infrared thermography for surface temperature mapping, infrared spectroscopy for material identification and chemical analysis, infrared imaging for surveillance and night vision, and hyperspectral or multispectral imaging that captures information across multiple infrared bands. Each technique has specific requirements for optics, calibration, and data interpretation.

Common applications span construction and maintenance (detecting heat losses, insulation gaps, and electrical faults), industrial automation and quality control, automotive and aerospace safety (night vision and predictive maintenance), medicine and veterinary imaging, agriculture (plant health assessment), and research in physics and environmental science. Limitations include atmospheric absorption, resolution constraints at longer wavelengths, equipment cost, and the need for proper calibration and safety considerations when working with infrared sources.