A thermographic weapon sight, thermal imagery scope or thermal weapon sight is a sighting device combining a compact

thermographic camera Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared ...

and an aiming reticle. They can be mounted on a variety of small arms as well as some heavier weapons. As with regular ultraviolet sensors, thermal weapon sights can operate in total darkness. The thermal scope can be quite useful in places with snow as the extreme difference in temperatures between the snow and any source of heat (such as a human) creates a high visual contrast between the two. This makes it easy to locate any source of heat against its low-temperature background.

Generations

Thermal weapon sights are often used by hunters to aid in the detection of game, such as feral hogs,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

s, or

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

s such as rats. The sight's ability to see unaided even in complete darkness allows the hunter to be undetected and aware of potential prey, facilitating a quick and precise takedown. The new generation of thermal weapon have sharing features and are compatible with video-sharing websites including

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

. The whole shooting adventure is recorded by the thermal imaging device and forwarded by a mobile phone application. The file is transferred by a

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

connection and the video clips can be uploaded directly into a video-sharing website. Videos can also be stored in the

SD card Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...

and can subsequently be viewed on a

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. The new generation thermal weapon by companies including

FLIR Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...

and Pulsar, where as the previous generation were primarily used by the military and hunters.

References

{{weapon-stub Infrared imaging Night vision devices Firearm sights

Generations

See also

References