What is infra-red (IR) light?
Infra-red (IR) light is a type of electromagnetic radiation which is invisible to us but can be felt as heat on the skin. It sits right next to the visible light spectrum:
What is IR light used for?
- Gesture recognition – for example games consoles like the X-Box One Kinect Motion Sensor
- Surveillance – ANPR (automatic number plate recognition), CCTV (closed circuit television)
- Machine vision and safety – for example, safety light curtains, automatic inspection, measurement etc.
- Home interior – 3D remote control, IR video/audio communication
- Home exterior – CCTV, door control, Pinoir
- Biometrics – Iris, fingerprint and face recognition – the finger/eye/face is illuminated with IR light and the camera on the device takes a picture of the iris/features so that its characteristic features which are unique to every individual can be identifiedAutomotive – driver monitoring, occupancy detection, crash/pedestrian sensors, parking sensors, night vision
- Traffic Control
- Touch Screens
- Health Monitoring - for example Apple Watch and Osram BioMon
ILS have made it easy for customers to integrate infra-red LEDs by putting a varied number and range of Osram IR LEDs onto PCBs. These and accessories are available to purchase through RS Components
Image Credits
Dome CCTV Camera - By KRoock74 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php curid=18420529
Touchscreen By Mercury13 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.phpcurid=4105874
Apple Watch - By Justin14 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.phpcurid=35261500
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