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Seeing InfraRed

Nov 16, 2007  By Mike Roberts
 in

In short, if you are wondering if an InfraRed device is working, you can actually see InfraRed using a digital camera. It even works with a low caliber cell phone digital camera.

Put the IR device in transmit mode, aim the digital camera pretty much head on to the IR port and look at the camera's viewfinder or video screen. Like magic you can see the unseen. You can even photograph it for posterity like I did and attached to this post.

Besides checking remote controls, I have used it to see if my PDA was transmitting via the IR port. You might be in a room full of laptops and wondering which one is trying to connect to your laptop.

Don't use your cell phone to call tech support, use your cell phone's camera to "see" the IR. It will make you feel like a high tech Sherlock Holmes. Techno fun and useful too. Enjoy!

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Really techie

k.sangeeth's picture
Submitted by k.sangeeth on Wed, 11/28/2007 - 22:12.

It was great to see the response from my friends when I told them this.
But I was just wondering .. of all the logic behind this.
Is it because the "digital cam" converts the rays invisible to normal human eyes to some visible color?
It will be good if anyone can clarify.

Sangeeth Keeriyadath
www.sangeek.com

IR viewing with digital cameras

Johnma's picture
Submitted by Johnma on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 12:38.

>Is it because the "digital cam" converts the rays invisible to normal human eyes to some visible color?

No, it's because the image sensor in the camera is sensitive to wavelengths outside the range visible to humans -- in this case, the IR emissions from your remote.

Handy, also, for keeping an eye on your front/rear yard at night -- any ordinary digital camera/webcam will give you a nice black-and-white picture (in the dark) if you illuminate the area with an IR floodlight.

J.

query

k.sangeeth's picture
Submitted by k.sangeeth on Sat, 02/09/2008 - 06:32.

It is true that the "image sensor in the camera is sensitive to wavelengths outside the range visible to humans" .. but the display of the camera is fed with different wavelength than the sensor received ..
I feel the wavelength is manipulated to be displayed on screen ..
what say u?

P.S. IR floodlight seems to be a very cool idea .. thanks

----------

Regards,
SanGEEK

Sangeeth Keeriyadath
www.sangeek.com

Cool

Mike Roberts's picture
Submitted by Mike Roberts on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 07:53.

I like your idea of using an IR floodlight to keep an eye on things via a webcam. I've already got a webcam watching portions of my backyard but of course I can only see things in the daylight. I'll be shopping for an IR floodlight now to try out your idea.

Thanks for the idea!

Mike Roberts is a bewildered Linux Journal Reader Advisory Panelist.

That's the awesome!

Shawn Powers's picture
Submitted by Shawn Powers on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 12:39.

That is incredibly cool! Just so cool.

I want to tell everyone I know, and no one else I know will care!!!

Shawn Powers is an Associate Editor for Linux Journal. You might find him chatting on the IRC channel, or Twitter