Infrared photography has played an irreplaceable role in a variety of specialized technical photography fields, such as criminal investigation, archaeology, wildlife conservation, military, astronomy, agriculture and forestry, remote sensing, and other scientific research areas. Since the 1990s, infrared camera technology has gradually been widely used in wildlife surveys, research, and monitoring. China infrared cameras are basically synchronized with the international level.
From the mid-1990s to 2004, this stage was the initial stage of infrared camera application in China. During this stage, all used infrared cameras were film cameras. Limited by the capacity of film rolls, the number of photos that could be taken in the field was extremely limited. Additionally, infrared camera equipment needed to be imported, the procurement process was cumbersome, and the prices were high. These factors made the usage of infrared cameras quite limited.
From around 2004 to 2012, this stage was the promotion phase of infrared camera application in China. During this stage, digital versions of infrared cameras appeared around 2005 and gradually matured with technological development, eventually replacing early film versions to become mainstream.
From 2012 to the present, it has been the rapid development stage of infrared camera application in China. During this stage, China has established more than 10 regional or national infrared camera monitoring networks or platforms and has achieved a significant amount of survey and research results.
The infrared camera technology in this stage originated from early DIY projects, mainly relying on actively emitting infrared light beams to trigger the camera. These devices had issues with high power consumption and slow response, limiting their wide application.
With the development of sensor technology, the second generation of infrared cameras used passive infrared trigger sensors, which could capture infrared radiation caused by the temperature difference between an animal and the environment to trigger the camera. This technology reduced energy consumption, improved response speed and waterproof performance, and made infrared cameras widely used in many fields.
The development of modern infrared camera technology, especially its application in space, marks the maturity of the technology. Characteristics of modern infrared camera technology include adaptive optics, large-diameter lightweight optical elements, multispectral and hyperspectral resolution imaging, etc.
In summary, the development of China infrared camera technology has not only achieved significant accomplishments in the field of wildlife conservation but also demonstrated extensive application potential in various fields. With continuous technological advancement and innovation, it is expected that infrared camera technology will play a greater role in global ecological conservation and monitoring work. The development of infrared camera technology has enabled infrared cameras to play significant roles in military reconnaissance, environmental monitoring, resource exploration, and is evolving towards higher resolution, more spectral fusion, high integration, and full digitization.
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