The Revolutionary SuperResolution Technology for High-Resolution Thermal Images from Testo

All objects warmer than minus 273 degrees centigrade (absolute zero) emit infrared heat radiation which cannot be seen by human eye. Thermal Imagers, however, can convert this infrared radiation into electrical signals and present them as a thermal image. The heat radiation is thus made visible for the human eye.

Thermography finds applications in:

·       - Electrical Maintenance for poor connections, unbalanced loads, etc

·       - Preventive Mechanical Maintenance of motors, compressors, pulleys, etc

·       - Quality Assurance & Production Monitoring

·       - Variable High Temperature Measurement

·       - Building diagnostics

·       - Automotive Climate R & D Testing

   

Image 1: Thermal Images from Testo Thermal Imager

In many industrial or trade applications, it is necessary to reliably thermograph even the smallest or extremely distant measuring objects. In such cases, the better the image resolution and the more readings in the thermal image, the more detailed and clearer the representation of the measuring object. And especially when you need to measure from great distances in your application, high resolution image quality is indispensable. Because the more you can see in the thermal image, the better is your analysis.

With the revolutionary SuperResolution technology from Testo, you improve the image quality of your testo thermal imager by one class in no time. Four times more measurement values and a geometric resolution improved by a factor of 1.6 mean for you even more details, even more security in your measurement and better analysis as well. For example 160 x 120 pixels are turned into 320 x 240 pixels at once with a simple firmware upgrade in your testo imager. This means simply better thermography on systems with - Testo SuperResolution upgrade.

This innovation from Testo uses the natural movement of your hand, and records several images, slightly offset to each other, very quickly one after the other. These are then calculated into one image using an algorithm. This allows you to take thermographic measurements easily, quickly and reliably at a great distance, for example using the large rotatable display and optional telephoto lens of the testo 876 – and to analyze the even more detailed SuperResolution thermal images precisely and conveniently on a PC.

The Testo SuperResolution technology makes it possible to depict more real temperature measurements without using a large detector, and thus to correctly measure smaller measuring objects. It provides four times more readings – comparable with a higher detector resolution.

Image 2: The image on the left shows a thermal image with 320 x 240 pixels; the image on the right shows a SuperResolution thermal image with 320 x 240 pixels (corresponds to 640 x 480 pixels).

This is not a simple interpolation procedure, such as bilinear or bicubic interpolation, in which artificial intermediate values are generated without obtaining additional information. Such artificially generated values can never exceed the neighboring values. In contrast, SuperResolution increases the measurement resolution and the level of detail. Real readings are therefore calculated, which are comparable with the photo taken by an imager with a higher detector resolution. The geometric resolution of the SuperResolution thermal image is clearly improved.

Testo's SuperResolution technology combines two well-known recognized methods:

1) Super Sampling

2) Deconvolution

Super Sampling technology uses the natural hand movements and takes multiple image very rapidly one after another.

Image 3: Testo SuperResolution Technology

The ‘deconvolution’ process improves the image quality through the calculation of the imaging properties of the lens with the thermal image.

Testo SuperResolution Technology in a nutshell:

·     - Improves the image quality of your Testo thermal imagers by one class with a mere firmware upgrade

·      - More correct & real temperature measurements without using a large detector

·   - Four times as many readings in the thermal image - Geometric resolution (IFOVgeo) of the thermal image improved by a factor of 1.6

·     - Measurable objects are 1.6 times smaller (IFOVmeas)

·     - Far more details for PC-based analyses and thus qualitatively and quantitatively improved

evaluation options in the thermography report

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