Perception

Thermal Camera

A thermal camera is an imaging sensor that measures long-wave infrared radiation emitted by objects, producing images of surface temperature rather than reflected light. Uncooled microbolometer arrays are the common variant on robots, operating in the 8-14 micrometer band and functioning in complete darkness, smoke, and fog. Robotics applications include human detection for safety, inspection of electrical and mechanical equipment for overheating, firefighting, and search and rescue.

Why it matters for physical AI

Thermal imaging gives robots a perception channel that is robust to lighting conditions that defeat RGB cameras, and it provides reliable human detection for safety systems in dark or visually degraded industrial environments.