The intersection of AI and thermal imaging is also an active area of research and development that is bringing new attention to the field of thermography. Interest in improving the safety of areas shared by many people is driving the development of thermal imaging solutions to detect people’s temperature from video. Current methods for mass screening crowds by using thermometers that humans read are not scalable and can introduce unacceptable delays that encourage reduced screening. The use of AI together with thermal imaging promises to increase both the speed and accuracy of detection at lower cost and less risk to worker health than current methods.

The combination of both thermal and visual sensors in a single camera unit lowers cost and simplifies the video analysis of objects in which the target area of the temperature reading is bounded by a visual shape in the image. With the advent of AI algorithms, applications provide highly accurate temperature readings based on different body parts, such as focusing on an area near or around the eyes. These applications provide accurate readings and lower the number of false positives.

The transition from digital video to computer vision technology combined with the miniaturization of edge devices and infrared sensors helps to expand the range of cost-effective applications for many sectors.