IR illumination

If we need to monitor a location in low light or darkness without attracting attention with artificial lighting, we cannot use regular cameras, as they fail in low light conditions. In such a case, we must use IR cameras, which are capable of recording infrared (IR) radiation (also called thermal radiation, as objects with higher temperatures emit more IR). This radiation is invisible to the eyes of animals or humans, so a device with this illumination does not draw attention to itself. Every object emits some heat, but unfortunately, this primary IR radiation is relatively weak and unusable for regular IR cameras. Therefore, it is necessary to use secondary IR lighting, or illumination, which makes the objects being monitored visible. This solution is often used, for example, in wildlife cameras. For IR illumination, IR LED diodes aimed in the desired direction are used. IR illumination is effective up to a limited distance of a few, or less commonly, tens of meters. Here, much depends on the overall power of the IR LED diodes and their directionality and the sensitivity of the IR sensor.