How Does the Car-mounted Infrared Thermal Imager Ensure Safe Driving in Rainy Weather?

Rainy days are high-risk weather for traffic accidents. According to the traffic police department's statistics, the accident rate on rainy days is 13 times higher than on sunny days. With the continuous improvement of the demand for intelligent driving technology, traditional radar cannot effectively solve the problem of all-weather scenarios in automobile driving. In complex scenarios, the advantages of infrared thermal imager products are becoming more and more obvious. In order to empower driving safety, InfiRay attempts to apply thermal imaging technology to the automotive field and develop the cutting-edge thermal imaging camera modules suitable for cars. 

InfiRay® vehicle-mounted infrared thermal camera module uses intelligent algorithms and has excellent thermal imaging effects. In situations where the human eye or visible light is limited, the device can provide clear image data from a long distance, providing safety guarantees for driving in rainy weather.

Rain can seriously affect the vision when people are driving

Issues with driving in rainy weather

When driving in heavy rain or stormy weather, relying solely on windshield wipers can be difficult to effectively and promptly clear rainwater from the windshield. Residual rainwater can scatter light, reduce contrast of objects within the field of vision, and severely affect visibility, especially during rainy nights. In addition, rainwater marks can be messy and affect the sensitivity of the retina, resulting in blurred vision. At the same time, windshield and windows are also prone to fogging, further affecting the driver's line of sight. Extended reading: Can thermal camera see through smoke or fog?

The advantages of thermal imager in harsh climates are obvious

Infrared thermal imaging vs other vehicle sensors

In rainy weather, especially at night, visibility is greatly limited, slippery road surfaces and reflections can increase the risk of driving. Therefore, drivers need higher technical skills and vehicle conditions to cope with higher challenges when driving in rainy weather. In order to improve driving safety, various perception hardware and software systems have emerged.

However, visible light cameras are greatly reduced in effectiveness in low-light or harsh weather conditions such as rain, snow, and fog, mm-wave radar has insufficient obstacle recognition capabilities, ultrasound radar has limited distance, and laser radar is also easily affected by weather. These systems are not perfect.

InfiRay thermal imager helps drivers identify pedestrians and vehicles in rainy and foggy weather

In terms of technology, infrared thermal imager has many advantages compared to other sensors such as visible light cameras, laser radar, millimeter-wave radar, etc. It can achieve night vision and is less affected by weather conditions such as rain, snow, haze, and sandstorms. In addition, infrared thermal imager is very sensitive to the perception of living organisms, so it can be an excellent choice and supplement for assisting driving or enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous driving in night or harsh weather conditions.

Click to Check InfiRay IR-Pilot vehicle-mounted infrared thermal camera module

The InfiRay® vehicle-mounted infrared thermal camera module is an intelligent device with AI intelligent detection function, which can automatically identify objects in front of it through any weather conditions. In addition, thermal camera modules can be connected to the car's multi-sensor fusion strategy to fully leverage the advantages of various sensors. When a collision risk is detected ahead, thermal camera modules will issue sound and image alarms, greatly improving driving safety and making driving in rainy conditions safer and more reliable.