Impact of Thermal Imaging Camera Display Quality on Fire Fighter Task Performance.
Impact of Thermal Imaging Camera Display Quality on Fire
Fighter Task Performance.
(3837 K)
Rowe, J. L.
NIST GCR 09-926; 153 p. June 2009.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Keywords:
thermal imaging; cameras; fire fighters; fire fighting
equipment; first responders; fire departments; infrared
optics; NFPA 1801; test methods; scenarios; fire hazard;
Fourier Transform; human beings; experiments; noise
(sound); validation; histograms
Abstract:
Thermal imaging cameras (TIC) have become a vital fire
fighting tool for the first responder community but
there are currently no standardized quality control
regulations. The purpose of the study was to understand
the impact of TIC display image quality on a fire
fighter's ability to perform a hazard recognition task.
Test subjects were asked to identify a fire hazard by
observing infrared images. The image matrix considered
the interactions of several image characteristics
including contrast, brightness, spatial resolution, and
noise. The results were used to create a model function
to predict the effect of image quality on user
performance. This model was recommended to be
incorporated in image quality test methods in
development at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology. These recommendations will also be provided
to the National Fire Protection Association for use in
an upcoming standard on fire fighting TIC.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899