Low Res Arduino Thermal Camera

Have you ever checked out those telescopes they sell at department stores that promise these amazing views? You know, the ones with those beautiful pictures that seem like they’re straight from the Hubble telescope. But when you actually peer through those telescopes, things don’t quite match up. Now, there’s something intriguing to explore – upir’s innovative project using an Arduino and a thermal camera. What’s impressive is how this project cleverly blends the expected 8×8 sensor images with those taken by a higher-end camera.

The heart of this project, shown in the accompanying video, is seriously impressive. They’ve put together a budget-friendly 8×8 infrared sensor and an LED panel to create a basic thermal camera that gets the job done. The creator taps into a bunch of existing libraries and takes the time to explain why certain ones were chosen and how they were tweaked. One particularly interesting aspect is the demo where they showcase HSV values on the LED array, breaking away from the usual RGB scheme.

Putting the project into action is a breeze, thanks to the provided code for reading sensor data and managing the LEDs. Of course, just like those affordable telescopes, you shouldn’t expect mind-blowing results. However, chances are you have most of what you need lying around, except for that $20 sensor. Around the ten-minute mark in the video, the creator reveals the same sensor in a commercial module that can enhance resolution on an LCD display. It might not be super refined, but they also give a quick review of a commercial camera that connects to your phone. (Feel free to skip the video if you’re not a fan of subtle advertising.)

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