Infrared detectors are electronic devices designed to detect hot or cold spots by scanning the temperature and heat distribution of objects. All objects, whatever their temperature, give off varying degrees of thermal radiation. In its most familiar form, radiated heat can be sensed by our skin but not seen by our eyes. For example, a heated clothes iron feels hot to the touch but does not look different from a cold iron. Unseen heat is energy that can be identified by infrared devices, which convert an object's thermal radiation into an electrical signal and then to a digital signal or picture of the object.
Infrared devices turn invisible infrared heat into visible signals or images.
Infrared detectors have a wide range of uses including medical imaging for detecting infections and tumors, and aerial surveys for revealing environmental conditions such as weather patterns and crop infestations or blights. Incorporated in binoculars, telescopes, night-vision goggles, and cameras, infrared detectors have a wide range of uses. These include medical imaging for detecting infections and tumors, and aerial surveys for detecting crop infestations and blights. In the defense industry, infrared detectors help in conducting reconnaissance, surveillance, and flights in the dark. Commercial applications of infrared detectors include the detection of power hazards and failures in industrial equipment, and energy conservation measures such as scanning buildings for heat loss.