THERMOGRAPHIC COMPARATIVE STUDY USING SMARTPHONE AND CAMERA TECHNOLOGY IN BUILDINGS

Abstract

The cost of thermographic cameras has significantly decreased in recent years, making it an accessible and cost-effective solution for building and infrastructure inspection. With advancements in technology, low-cost thermographic devices have now become readily available in the market. These cost-effective devices offer a more convenient and accessible option for individuals and businesses to perform onsite temperature measurements. In this paper, we examine the capabilities and limitations of a thermal-equipped smartphone and the potential impact on the thermography industry by comparison with a dedicated thermographic camera. The advantages of thermography still hold true for recent low-cost devices: non-invasive inspections, quick and efficient measurements, and hidden defects easily detected. The low-cost thermal-equipped smartphone proved to be a highly maneuverable system, easy to use and with option of overlapping with real color image, what facilitates the interpretation. The low-cost system is also characterized by a larger field of view but also by a lower resolution, what makes it impracticable for measuring small objects. In any case, integration of non-destructive technologies in smartphones opens up a whole new world of possibilities for spreading the inspection of as-built buildings and infrastructures and democratizing the technology. Keywords: Low-Cost; inspection; thermal bridges; energy sustainability; energy efficiency; digital twins.