Industrial camera manufacturer e2v (Saint Egreve, France) has provided 10 of its Argus4 thermal imaging cameras to help search and rescue efforts in areas devastated by the earthquake that occurred in Japan on Mar. 11, 2011.
The infrared equipment will assist international search and rescue teams in locating survivors trapped in collapsed buildings and also on higher ground in many coastal towns throughout Japan.
Argus thermal imaging cameras can detect very low temperature variations; they can also view large areas of land or water, searching rapidly and requiring less manpower than with conventional search methods. Searches with the camera can be conducted during darkness or full sunlight, and in a variety of weather conditions with a trapped survivor visible to the Argus camera through their body heat alone.
e2v has shipped the cameras directly to its partners in Japan who are distributing to the areas in most need of support.
SOURCE: e2v
-- Posted by Vision Systems Design