The use of thermal imaging in
fighting fires is 25 years old this year — the first documented life saved by
the technology goes back to a New York City fire in 1988. Though it took years
for thermal imaging technology to become widespread due to cost, once it was
well established in firefighting, a direct connection between their use and the
preservation of life was clear. And now, a new device being developed by
researchers could further augment this live-saving technology. In Italy, researchers
of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Istituto Nazionale di Ottica
(National Research Council - National Institute of Optics), are using hologram
technology to create three-dimensional images that would allow firefighters to
see through smoke and flames during a rescue.
Though thermal imaging can see
through smoke, the presence of flames can obscure objects, such as people in
need of rescue. Instead of using lenses to generate an image, the hologram
device uses laser beams and something called numerical processing, so the
device can see through flames and generate a 3D image of a room. If somehow
combined with thermal imaging, the technology could provide yet another layer
of information to firefighters. Thermal imaging has three main uses. It can
allow firefighters to measure the temperature of a burning building and
identify what stage the fire is in. Thermal imaging can help firefighters
understand the layout of a building and spot weak structural elements before
they fall. Thermal imaging can be used to find victims amid the flames.