Cubert TC Thermal Imager – Airborne Uncooled Microbolometer-Based Infrared Camera
| Brand | Cubert |
|---|---|
| Origin | Imported |
| Model | TC Thermal Imager |
| IR Resolution | 640 × 512 FPA |
| Spectral Range | 7.5–13.5 µm |
| Pixel Pitch | 17 µm |
| NETD | <0.035 °C @ +30 °C |
| Temperature Range | −40 °C to +150 °C |
| Accuracy | ±2 °C or ±2% of reading |
| Power Supply | 6 VDC, <1.3 W |
| Dimensions | 60 × 54 × 45 mm |
| Weight | <200 g |
| Lens Options | 9 mm / 13 mm / 19 mm / 35 mm fixed focal length |
| Interface | USB 2.0 (data storage & configuration), UAV sync trigger port |
| Onboard Storage | 8 GB USB flash memory |
| Radiometric Output | Full-frame per-pixel calibrated radiance and temperature data |
| GPS Time/Location Sync | Yes (via external UAV telemetry or GPS receiver) |
Overview
The Cubert TC Thermal Imager is a purpose-engineered airborne infrared thermal imaging camera designed for integration with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in scientific, industrial, and environmental monitoring applications. Based on an uncooled microbolometer focal plane array (FPA), it operates within the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral band (7.5–13.5 µm), enabling passive, non-contact surface temperature mapping without external illumination. Its core measurement principle relies on Planck’s law of blackbody radiation: incident infrared photons are absorbed by vanadium oxide (VOx) microbolometer pixels, inducing minute resistance changes proportional to incident radiance—calibrated to absolute temperature via factory NIST-traceable radiometric coefficients embedded per pixel. Unlike conventional analog video-only thermal cameras, the TC Thermal Imager captures full-resolution, time-stamped, radiometrically calibrated RAW data at native 640 × 512 resolution, preserving all raw digital counts (DN) for post-flight quantitative thermographic analysis.
Key Features
- True radiometric imaging: Each pixel delivers calibrated radiance (W·sr⁻¹·m⁻²) and derived temperature values—no loss of quantitative fidelity due to onboard JPEG compression or gamma correction.
- Lightweight, UAV-optimized architecture: Total mass <200 g including housing; compact footprint (60 × 54 × 45 mm) meets stringent payload constraints of Class I and II drones.
- Dual-interface USB 2.0: One port dedicated to high-integrity RAW data logging to removable 8 GB USB flash storage; second port for real-time configuration, firmware updates, and power delivery (6 VDC, <1.3 W).
- Hardware-flexible core design: Interchangeable imaging modules support field-reconfigurable spectral response, dynamic range, and integration time—enabling adaptation across mission-specific thermal contrast requirements.
- Embedded synchronization capability: Dedicated TTL-compatible sync trigger input enables precise temporal alignment with UAV flight controllers, GNSS timestamps, and multispectral payloads.
- Onboard metadata tagging: Automatic embedding of GPS coordinates, UTC timestamp, altitude, and IMU-derived attitude (when interfaced with compatible UAV telemetry buses) into each RAW frame header.
Sample Compatibility & Compliance
The TC Thermal Imager is suitable for measuring surface temperatures of non-transmissive, opaque materials—including vegetation canopies, building envelopes, solar panels, electrical infrastructure, and industrial process surfaces—under ambient daylight or low-light conditions. It complies with ISO 18434-1:2008 (Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines — Thermography — Part 1: General procedures) for qualitative and semi-quantitative thermal inspection workflows. While not certified for medical or life-safety applications, its radiometric calibration traceability aligns with ASTM E1933-19 (Standard Test Methods for Measuring and Compensating for Emissivity Using Infrared Imaging Systems), supporting emissivity-corrected analysis in controlled settings. No internal battery or hazardous components; RoHS-compliant construction ensures safe air transport under IATA Packing Instruction 955.
Software & Data Management
Cubert’s proprietary ThermalStudio post-processing software provides a validated, scriptable environment for radiometric data reduction. It ingests binary RAW files (.raw or .bin) alongside embedded metadata, applies non-uniformity correction (NUC), shutterless drift compensation, and user-defined emissivity/atmospheric transmission models. Batch processing supports frame-by-frame temperature matrix export (CSV, HDF5), PNG visualization with customizable LUTs and isotherm overlays, and georeferenced thermal mosaic generation when coupled with UAV-collected GNSS/IMU logs. Audit trails—including processing parameters, calibration date, operator ID, and version-controlled algorithms—are retained per project folder, satisfying GLP documentation requirements. Software output formats comply with FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and support integration into MATLAB, Python (NumPy/PIL), and ENVI workflows.
Applications
- Agricultural stress monitoring: Detection of irrigation deficits, pest infestation, and disease onset via canopy temperature anomalies at sub-degree resolution.
- Renewable energy asset inspection: Thermographic survey of photovoltaic arrays for hot-spot identification, bypass diode failure, and soiling quantification.
- Building envelope diagnostics: Identification of thermal bridging, insulation gaps, and moisture intrusion in façades and roofs during diurnal thermal cycling.
- Industrial predictive maintenance: Non-intrusive monitoring of transformer windings, switchgear contacts, and motor bearings during operation.
- Wildfire perimeter mapping: Real-time thermal boundary detection and smoldering hotspot localization under smoke-obscured conditions.
- Ecological research: Nocturnal animal detection, wetland evapotranspiration modeling, and volcanic fumarole activity tracking.
FAQ
Does the TC Thermal Imager support real-time video streaming over USB?
Yes—it outputs uncompressed 8-bit or 16-bit YUV/RGB video streams at up to 30 Hz via USB 2.0, compatible with standard UVC-compliant capture software.
Can radiometric calibration be performed in-field?
No—factory calibration is performed using blackbody sources traceable to NIST standards; however, optional shutterless NUC routines compensate for thermal drift during extended flights.
Is the device compatible with Pixhawk-based autopilots?
Yes—through MAVLink telemetry passthrough, GPS time stamps and vehicle pose data can be injected into frame headers via the sync trigger interface.
What file format is used for stored RAW data?
Binary interleaved format with IEEE 754 32-bit float radiance values per pixel, accompanied by XML metadata containing calibration coefficients, lens ID, and acquisition parameters.
Does ThermalStudio support batch processing of multi-mission datasets?
Yes—scripted workflows allow automated temperature extraction, statistical reporting, and orthorectified thermal mosaic assembly across hundreds of flight lines.
