Infrared Fun!

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YT2095

Executive Chef
Joined
Aug 26, 2006
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Location
Central UK.
here`s a really cool experiment anyone can do that not only gives very interesting results (some of which I`ll present here) and it won`t break the bank either, normally I wouldn`t post such things here on a Cooking forum, but this is so simple and so much fun that I wanted to share it with you all.

I`ll only present some of the effects and results here as the potential hasn`t been fully explored yet by myself leaving Plenty of scope for others to join in.

you`ll need a cheap webcam, you can pick them up for pocket change nowadays.
the Best sort are the ones that you have to focus manually by turning the lens holder.
you`ll have to take this apart so that you can unscrew it entirely to see the CCD chip itself, although the CDD isn`t the bit you`r after, the bit you need to remove is 99.99% of the time in the Lens housing itself.
it`s the Infrared filter! :cool:
it`s often a small flat square piece of glass that has a Green color to it, I say Often as it can be circular too, but it always flat and has a green color.
depending on the design you`ll have to either remove tiny spots of glue at the edges to remove it, or cut some plastic away and let it drop out, eitherway a sharp box cutter blade is the ideal tool.

when you`v removed this IR filter, screw the lens housing back into place.
if you connect the Cam to the PC and switch it on during this, you can can also sharpen the focus as you`r doing it, you`ll know you`v got it right when your keyboard letters are all nice and sharp looking from about half a meter away.

you`ll not notice any strange effects at 1`st, until you shove the cam up the window to look at some trees or plants, here:

irnorm.jpg


still not all That bizzare but don`t the trees have a strange Whiteish color and not at all Green anymore, this is just the beginning!

here`s what it looks like with different colored plastic filters in front of the lens, I`ll start with Blue:
irb.jpg



green:
irg.jpg


Red:
irr.jpg


Now you can see the Plants have taken on a Very odd White color compared to everything else ;)

my story didn`t end there though, I wondered What would happen if I used all 3 of these filters together Red/Green and Blue?
well I made up the layers and couldn`t see a thing through it with my eyes, but tested it anyway...

irbw.jpg

Yes! a Black and White filter for color cameras!
Now the Plants look really strange:cool:


and THIS is probably the Freakiest thing about this experiment:
irhand.jpg

all the Veins in my hand are perfectly visible now, and yet in "normal" vision you can`t see them.


I hope you all have fun with this and present Your results here as well as Ideas of things to try IR vision with.
and Yes you can read a book in total darkness using a TV remote as a flashlight ;)

Have Fun!







(Non of these pictures have been altered in Any way using any s/ware at all, they are ALL direct from the cam)
 
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I have an infa rad heat light for the cats in winter, as DH and I don't like the central heating on. sometimes though, when its cold I sit near it too and I never fail to be amazed by the pattern of veins under the skin.....its strangely beautiful.
 
oh, I love experiments. You'd think that my husband ( who has a chem. degree) would let me do some but we never get around to it.
I might be able to do this one myself. THANK YOU!!!!
 
Back on topic, I revisited and opened the links to the photos - neat! Then I checked out your profile wondering where in the world is left of Europe and down a bit - that's vague enough to hide out! Nice garden and other photos you shared. Thanks
 
yt, if you have a wide range of contrast on the camera, you can do some fun "x-ray vision" type stuff with it. :online2lo

:angel:
 
Very interesting! Thanks! I think it is interesting how (to me anyway) it looks like the weather is stormy with the red filter, and kind of stormy with all three.

:)Barbara
 
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