Is it possible to apply similar process as "Flir DDE" to all thermal images? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: gucuv
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 07:13:28 am
content: Hello.I was shocked by Flir's "Digital Detail Enhancement" when reading a data sheet:DDE actually reveal more details from the original picture...So I want to know, can we apply a similar processing method to any thermal image/video? If not, what about if we can read RAW data from the sensor(I remember for some thermal cores we do have RAW options)?Thank you.

author: eKretz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 09:04:11 am
content: It may just be a selective contrast boost with something like a "curves" adjustment. Sure looks like it. Here is a PDF I found from FLIR some time ago describing DDE in a little more detail (link straight to download):https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.flirmedia.com/MMC/CVS/Tech_Notes/TN_0003_EN.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiKlOP7v9HgAhVEWq0KHTrsBLcQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3zye3sUTL71DCBPHEnI_VN

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 01:26:01 pm
content: It would work best with raw images, but from what I understand it can be done with sharpening, contrast, midtown detail or any of the lightroom settings that increase detail.Sadly FLIR DDE is only implemented on some cameras, mostly survalliance or scopes. I would be awesome to have it as a viewing mode I camera and one of the settings in FLIR tools for post.Other manufacturers have tech that does the same without a fancy name. On i3s website for ThermalExpert OEM that show 3 levels of sharpening and reveal much more detail as well.

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 07:02:49 pm
content: That mostly looks like 'unsharp mask', with as others say a bit of a contrast boost curve afterwards. It is probably applied to the pure temperature corrected image. That data would be 16 bit and so have bit depth to spare when stretched.As Vipitis says, harks back to the days of 'invent a buzzword' so that a tender can specify 'Must have DDE' and get away with it, while a tender 'Must have a FLIR logo on the side' might be seen to be a bit biased.Bill

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 07:23:12 pm
content: “ ‘Must have a FLIR logo on the side’ might be seen as a bit biased”

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 07:35:32 pm
content: DRS have a similar image enhancement mode on their thermal CCTV cameras. It is claimed to reveal activity within the scene that might otherwise go unnoticed. I thought it looked like some form of contrast enhancement and possibly some edge enhancement thrown in for good measure.A patent that may apply is to be found here:https://patents.google.com/patent/US8928769B2/enOn my DRS Ultra 6000 camera, they call it “ICE” (Image Contrast Enhancement)DRS CCTV with ICE datasheethttp://www.drsinfrared.com/portals/0/docs/datasheets/WatchMaster_IP_Family_Datasheet_MR-2013-04-660_Rev03.pdfVideo showing DRS ICE.http://youtu.be/ng7hmseYOy8Fraser

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 11:43:59 pm
content: So good it can see through glass...................That one is a knownforgery'marketing imagination' image

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2019, 11:49:13 pm
content: Oooops !I just assumed it was a fire test room and that no glass was in the window. I have seen shipping containers used for such tests and they have unglazed ‘window’ apertures over which metal doors are closed if a sealed room is desired.Truth be told, once the marketing bods get involved with demo videos, all manner of ‘artistic licence’ can appear in the end product !Fraser

author: eKretz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2019, 04:46:23 am
content: There does appear to be glass in the window since we can see the reflection of the fire in it. Perhaps the house is also a reflection and the side of the "room" nearest the camera is actually an open wall?

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2019, 01:16:20 pm
content: The other feature of the DDE image is that it has brought up the detector column non-uniformity in the flames zone. The FLIR version has the same problem, very difficult to know where the real information stops on a given scene.The FLIR document (attached) is interesting in that it shows that DDE breaks the 'brighter = hotter' convention to enhance detail. As it says there's only so many grey levels the eye can see, so you have to reuse some to achieve this.Bill

author: joe-c
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2019, 03:53:03 pm
content: Hey guys,see this interesting algorithm, its on my "todo list":https://www.olympus-lifescience.com/en/microscope-resource/primer/java/digitalimaging/processing/diffgaussians/best wishesjoe-c