How to become invisible to Infrared Cameras

So I got a cheap thermal camera (Flirone)... the thing is twitchy and unreliable as hell.... but still very fun!
So you can do some really interesting things with thermal cameras..... you can see through polyethylene... but not perspex or glass.
I wont be adding this video to the patreon supported feed, cos its just for a little light fun, but will do some more involved videos with infrared later.
Many thanks to all those who support this channel through Patreon.
/ thunderf00t

[@RyanRyzzo]

Commander! We have several black binliners coming towards us carrying RPGs!

[@iamjustamazin]

+RyanRyzzo LOOOOOL

[@svenhoek]

+RyanRyzzo No kidding. Just shoot at the dark spots

[@mastercabbage]

we can only pray the paper doesn't come in with ak-47s...

[@MDxm3000]

+Koko Noloco Good thing they already brought their own body bags and pre-packaged themselves. :D How nice for the environment!

[@seigeengine]

+MDxm3000 It's worth noting it would be better for the environment if you just let them rot there.

[@Thunderf00t]

In the last pateron hangout I mentioned some of the fun things I was doing with this camera (believe me.. this video is only scratching the surface!). Folks there were rather keen that I get a better IR camera, and when I told them decent IR cameras run ~$2-20k they suggested I should crowd fund it. Any thoughts?

[@AwoudeX]

+Thunderf00t so in order to shut out big brother, i need a plexiglas hat laced with tinfoil, ok thanks :D:D:D

[@tylr3669]

+Thunderf00t Hello, can you actually explain how Infrared and Heat are related? For instance, I understand that seeing the visible spectrum is actually only seeing the visible spectrum of "reflected" light from the surface you are viewing. Assuming Infrared works the same, why does the temperature of the surface being viewed change the infrared signal, but temperature doesn't seem to change the visible spectrum (at least not on the same 1-2 deg F scale)? Or am I totally off base? Love the Science Always! Tylr

[@MegaFarinato]

+Thunderf00t how many things have we discovered thanks to freaking good obseving tools? easy answer

[@DonCDXX]

+Thunderf00t Would the the mud bath thing from the movie Predator work to hide from infrared?

[@SkaterBlades]

much magic such science wow

[@Fleechin]

I think you should do more videos like these.

[@Zerklass]

+republiccommando1138 Gar serim Ner vod

[@Azoicum]

yes, how to suck an egg yolk with a plastic bottle 🍻

[@DannixX1000]

+republiccommando1138 you left sev behind :(

[@AndrewBrownK]

+republiccommando1138 I agree, it is a much needed moment to relax and enjoy something cool between all the insanity

[@Fleechin]

+DannixX1000 Still miss him...

[@jowesterman6476]

As a UK Firefighter, we use thermal Image cameras a lot. As part of our training, when searching for people, it is highlighted that you cannot see through windows, or water.They also throw up a whole bunch of problems when you encounter a mirror.

[@MrSlaughterrific]

PAPER TANKS ARE THE FUTURE

[@StephenDaviesAuthor]

Researching for a heist novel and this was so useful - thank you!

[@arville2020]

This explains why Snake keeps using a box to hide in.

[@KAG9]

That is actually very cool. Thank you for sharing that. I love random bits of information that I have no clue how else I would have obtained. Keep it up, Thunderfoot! Really like your stuff.

[@clairity_dx5552]

So if you knew an enemy was using infrared cameras to find you, a sheet of glass with a handle on it (almost like a tower shield) would be your best bet at hiding from them. Pretty neat stuff!

[@thatsomeone3818]

+Clairity_DX At least, assuming they aren't using normal cameras/their eyes at the same time.

[@clairity_dx5552]

That someone Very true! That'd be important to know as well!

[@spyrojyro7202]

Use a trash bag cover. Now it's foolproof!

[@mrkiky]

+Clairity_DX well at least you can fool motion detectors the same way, they also detect the same frequencies.

[@justinw1765]

You would want to insulate the handle so as little heat transfers from your hand to the surface of the glass or whatever IR covering you are using.

[@Derpsider]

2:05 Thunderf00t turned into *Heisenf00t, or ThunderBerg* :P

[@Coalemos]

If you're being chased by a police helicopter, hide in a bus stop!

[@Wingedshadowwolf]

Reflective things play tricks on thermals too. My grandma got some infrared goggles because she thought people were sneaking around her property at night. She had me stop by to get them running( read the manual, put in batteries and turn it on) Well I looked outside at the snow to test them to make sure it was actual thermal and not a fancy filter. It showed the snow as hot! It may have been cold out, but the sun reflecting off of the snow looked hot. I then had her turn on the electric stove top and you couldn't visibly see it, but the goggles sure could. I then warned her that it would still be hard to see people and animals with them in winter due to their winter gear and thick fur insulating them.

[@Dachande84]

"Thunderf00t teaches us how to hide from Predator"

[@bananahammockxxl]

This is my favorite video you've done in quite a while. Very cool.

[@ArcturanMegadonkey]

ISIS watched this and will cover themselves in newspapers and black bin liners...

[@nishitraj.]

They already dress black.. just need to switch over to garbage polythene bags .. lol

[@ArcturanMegadonkey]

+Nishit Raj PMSL can you imagine how much they'd sink after a day in the desert wrapped in a polythene bag?

[@nishitraj.]

ArcturanMegadonkey haha.. The bag will fuse with their skin and they are forever invisible! Hear hear ISIS.. We are waiting for our check for this tech breakthrough 😂😂😂😂

[@ArcturanMegadonkey]

+Nishit Raj 50/50 split as it was our idea LOL

[@LWolf12]

+ArcturanMegadonkey Don't forget the fish bowl helmets.

[@tohopes]

So glad you picked an IR camera with an installed boresight .

[@Waifu4Life]

So Solid Snake's box IS the ultimate way to hide then.

[@EJ-ut1ln]

Now how is ultimite

[@zaxxxon]

Kool vid... I did some black and white infrared nature photography at one point. And the results, when I got just the right amount of "out of focus" on my lens, were quite stunning, where a waterfall, rocks, and the sky appeared black and the surrounding vegetation came out as if it was covered in snow... bright white.

[@black_platypus]

+zaxxxon Cool :) Do you have some of that uploaded?

[@zaxxxon]

Benjamin Philipp I will when I get a scanner for my negatives. The other copies I have are rather large (and mounted on my walls). Some of my more recent stuff (including some work with a Hasselblad) can be found on Flickr under *wordman760*

[@black_platypus]

***** Whoa! That is an impressive collection! Thank you for sharing! I envy you :)

[@freedomthv]

Try a thermal blanket I think that will do the trick

[@WTF-vv8ic]

I know this is an old comment but a Mylar blanket will block it for a little bit.

[@wilfdarr]

It's in the name, so, being no expert here, your probably right😉

[@azarith]

I¨m so glad you actually bother to talk to the reason the world really is broken. Dude I salute you!

[@cidshroom]

In Afghanistan, they took to using large blankets. hear a helicopter coming, just lay down by a rock, and throw the blanket over top of yourself, and you're invisible for a good few minutes

[@Killerean]

I used to have so much fun with thermal camera when doing electrical revisions :D. I remember how main electrical room in Varta used to shine like crazy because the whole place was running at like 120% all the time. All of that was accompanied by massive noise from fuse boxes ranging around at least 90 db. Figured that while normal mirror is not very good at reflecting infrared, copper and zinc are great at it.

[@usmh]

What I'm really curious about is how the IR camera reacts to amount of heat energy vs. how it reacts to temperature. Will a substance with low specific heat that carries a small amount of heat energy but has a high temperature show up brighter than higher s.h. and a low temperature?

[@perdedor3571]

I know this is a very old comment (by KZbin standards) but if you're still interested I can answer it for you.

[@usmh]

@@perdedor3571 Oh yeah, I'm interested.

[@robertotr]

Why don't you answered right way? 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@atempdog]

You should have made a distinction between the near or reflective infrared that infrared film can capture and the far or thermal infrared that you were dealing with in your video. For those that don't know, the IR that's next to the visible spectrum isn't thermal; it's reflected light, but it reveals things not as noticeable in visible light. Then, as you go to longer wavelengths, there's a range of frequencies where the atmosphere wont pass light. As you continue to go to lower frequency and longer wavelength, the atmosphere becomes transparent again in the thermal IR range.

[@person4169]

Very interesting

[@ColonelVern]

For you.

[@Dazaken]

+Colonel Vern lol Vern....damn what a shitty name. Know what I mean Vern?

[@ColonelVern]

Too bad he never says anything. Wonder what he looks like?

[@Dazaken]

for you.

[@Octoschizare]

Would be cool to see this with a metal like Al foil to block both spectral ranges. I assume it would work far better than glass or perspex because it probably wouldn't show the hot spots from the hands since thermal conductivity is so high and heat capacity is low. (Which is why you can touch Al foil right after taking it out of your kitchen oven even though the food inside or under it will burn you.)

[@NadavIgra]

I recall the sequence in the film "predator" where Arnold Schwarzenegger uses mud to hide his thermal signature. I think the infra-red has some superimposed high contrast image to help discern outlines of objects in this video. I am curious about millimeter wave imaging, is there a good video on the subject? Edit: apparently only with projecting a "light". Can black-body radiation be used also to create an image or extrapolate information? Edit: googled it for myself: thermal imaging is essentially black body radiation. Here's one: how about UHF/VHF imaging?

[@NadavIgra]

Yeah, mud would only work for a short while as it will heat up in contact with the skin.

[@NadavIgra]

***** Ha. I must have missed it.

[@mrkiky]

+Nadav Igra Millimeter waves are at the end of the spectrum of microwaves. Bodies typically emit in the 6-14 micrometer range (at least those are the ranges those cameras are sensitive to), which depends on surface material and temperature, also called blackbody radiation. You'd need to project microwaves to get microwave imaging, unless the body you're trying to study emits microwaves on its own for some reason. Also who knows about reflectivity and transparence. I guess plates that don't heat up in the microwave oven would be transparent.

[@piercesto]

+Nadav Igra besides the water in the mud is probably a good thermal conductor?

[@TM-dq5lr]

I like this cute little science experiment videos! Please keep them up!

[@-__-_-.-]

You seem a little hot headed in this video..

[@black_platypus]

+Yammercat :) Right! ^^

[@piercesto]

+Yammercat ... and no visible eyes.....

[@mannyindaclub]

😂😂

[@lostismyconstent]

I miss these kinds of videos, thanks for making this one.

[@rickyrico80]

Is there also a way to filter out the feminist spectrum?

[@mpnbackup2613]

+rickyrico80 You'd have to figure out a way to cancel out the feminist frequency...

[@rickyrico80]

Congrats, you've won the Internet with that one.

[@olluman123]

+Incredible Igtheist XD

[@TheTravellerSounds]

+Incredible Igtheist The frequency is 69

[@mastercabbage]

You just need a big sheet of the truth, that will block it out.

[@gaius100bc]

wow, I've been thinking what could I use to block visible but not IR.. rubbish bags! never even crossed my mind.. that's the most useful genius tip I got in a while. thanks

[@DoubleNN]

Is that "cool ey?" thing at the end of these kinds of videos a running joke kind of thing or do you just say that?

[@DoubleNN]

+Double - N If you just say that, make it one.

[@jasperprichard8905]

Erm. He just says that... How does it seem like a joke?

[@DoubleNN]

Jasper Prichard Fair enough. At the end of one or two of his more "sciency" type videos he said that. I could imagine that being a thing he would do purposefully, I think he should.

[@piercesto]

+Double - N Sounds like he's turning Canadian! LOL

[@DoubleNN]

piercesto They named their country by pulling letters out of a hat, they got CND. As the person pulled it out, he announced them: "C ay? N ay? D ay?" This was misunderstood as C-A-N-A-D-A

[@sarcasmo57]

There are all these other worlds or at least invisible perspectives all around us every day. Thanks for the video.

[@borissman]

0 disliked. finally, no one was offended? o__O

[@ProfessorFessor]

+boriss vassiljev Give it time. It will offend someone.

[@earlgrey2130]

+boriss vassiljev Oh.. they'll come. Just give it time.

[@LuderSatan1]

+boriss vassiljev Give it time. Because as the feminist prophet onse said: Everything is sexist, everything is racist and you have to point it all out. And who am I to question a prophet?

[@RayPoreon]

+boriss vassiljev I am electromagnetic radiationkin, and I am offendated.

[@thatsomeone3818]

+Special Snowflake 8 now.

[@michaerun]

Thunderf00t: If you want to cut the image mixing (outline), put a piece of black tape over the visible camera lens. Good for looking at power panels for hot spots, heat leakage in your walls and roof leaks (wet spots will be cooler).

[@youtubeviewer6994]

People can grow weed in peace xD

[@AgeOfSuperboredom]

Stainless steel also blocks infrared quite a lot. The asphalt ignition ovens that I used to work with burn at 550 degrees C, but the outside of the door will only read 50 degrees C on an IR thermometer (even though the door is so hot that you'd scorch your hand on it if you left it on there for just a few seconds).

[@ShredCo]

This is a topic I have been thinking about. The best tactic I could come up with was dragging a wet or damp blanket behind you on a short rope when you are defending from helicopters with distinct audio signatures... then drag the damp blanket over you when you hear helicopters above. With military helicopters, they often have superior optics and can target you from a distance you cannot hear the chopper from so you would have to cover up permanently some other way, which I cannot figure out

[@TngMutantNinjaTroll]

It was nice seeing thermodynamics in action, especially on that paper bit. Thermal cameras are fun indeed. Cheers mate. ^.^

[@MarkJacksonGaming]

Nice! These are the vids I love to see! Thanks Thunder.

[@m_isho]

>inb4 terrorists uses glass and plastic bin bags to hide from apaches. Thanks Thunderfoot for this video. Looking forward to nice FLIR experiments.

[@apeek7]

The FIR camera you have is sensitive to wavelengths from 8 to 14 microns in the far infrared. Those wavelengths are a window between strong H2O and CO2 absorption line above and below... The human body has a surface temperature of about 300 K. The blackbody radiation peak for an object at 300 K is 9.6 microns which falls within the FIR window.

[@josephvickers7426]

I'll have to share this with my platoon. I'm sure there is at least some training value in this video.

[@CrimsonVocals]

+Thunderf00t I'm currently writing a bit of fiction involving a species with primarily thermal vision. Your video has given me some welcome inspiration on the subject.

[@xSwordLilyx]

The answer was actually bin liners in Yahtzee's book Jam. That was such a good book I wish I could read it for the first time again. Very funny.

[@Liquidfer1]

You seem like a really cool person. (No pun intended) I like people I could learn from. I could follow you around and pick your brain on all sorts of topics. But since that would seem weird please keep making videos.

[@jdtowery90]

Awesome video as always Dr!

[@ober9000]

Love your science videos. They always have something cool and interesting. Some things I just never happend to think about. Like what materials block infrared.

[@Mr2at]

I like thunderfoot, he reminds me of Jonny ball in the 70,s. Making science fun.

[@duberdurm]

Thank you for not doing mud and destroying my Predator childhood misconceptions.

[@christianwww]

A first aid kit thermal blanket is also blocking Infrared/heat. You can tick alarm systems presence detectors whit it :)

[@Khalith]

That's pretty cool actually. Thanks for showing us TF.

[@8Dataman8]

This was very intetesting! Thank you for making this video. :)

[@r.b.4611]

More science on Thunderf00t!

[@blujay1524]

Love these kinds of videos, very cool

[@kk10033]

Now this is the content I love to see!

[@Wyowanderer]

Having lots of neat toys is a perk of being a scientist...

[@andrewtippman]

OK, I want one. I remember the old infra-red infantry night vision equipment we had in the 80s: "OK, that looks like a man-blob..." Technological advance over the last few decades has been amazing.

[@lukusblack6442]

First, you look bad-ass in monochrome. Also, I love the bit with the paper. Too cool!

[@PREPFORIT]

Very interesting demonstration Thanks !

[@tomer747]

one of your coolest videos!!

[@ericolesky1569]

Great video mate. Keep up the good work.

[@0gods]

Super cool video, TF.

[@black_platypus]

+0gods Or was it really... hot?

[@0161M40]

Pretty cool.. I'll remember to keep a few bin liners handy if I find myself in a chopper pursuit, haha nice video.

[@jcyork1767]

But I can see you through the bin liner. -pilot

[@Thamer4life]

As much as I love you watching you deliver DDTs and Piledrivers to feminists and Muslims alike, it's stuff like this that I enjoy seeing you do the most.

[@squidlings]

This is the thunderfoot I like 👍👍

[@systempatcher]

Very fun camera to mess around with. On occasions I've played around with my university's infrared camera. It's worth more than my house.

[@FHBStudio]

In the last but you can also see infrared reflections on the glass bowl. That for me was the coolest part. Wish you would've caught that too :p

[@WTF-vv8ic]

This was an awesome video. Thank you.

[@thewhitedeath586]

drones scare the shot out of me, I've seen what they can do. I love this video!

[@ZefVolk]

A piece of glass in a bin bag. Stealth achieved!

[@awoodfinz]

You sir... are clearly doing some great work please keep posting videos more frequently :-)

[@Plutonia001]

TF, you forgot infrared reflection. In university physics course we got to play around with an IR camera, and quickly realized that a matte painted mdf tabletop was infrared reflective. You could see the heat specular reflections of people standing around the table, even though you can only see diffuse reflection of the visible spectrum. In this video you could have shown a smooth white surface that works like an infrared mirror without reflecting your visible image.

[@Minoru91]

The gear special forces are rumored to use stop detection from thermal and image intensifying night vision systems. they also have new a toy which combines night vision and thermal into one set of goggles.

[@voce_simul]

Super interesting. Thanks!

[@arathar24l]

When it comes to your videos, it was the creationist/feminist response videos that drew me in, but it's videos like these that keep me watching your stuff.

[@rekka6366]

that's so cool to see in action.

[@angellisdaknyx3684]

I just wanted to say, I'm infatuated with your mind. I feel for you as young girls do pop boy band. thank you so much for every video you have or will ever make.

[@tylerdurden783]

This is indeed very cool. Loved it! :)

[@panspermiahunter7597]

This is excellent, thanks.

[@jwserge]

Thanks a lot for your informative video. I looked for especially this info. Now what is the wavelenth of these IR waves???

[@jtveg]

Awesome science video.

[@ok-hd4so]

good info for my upcoming atf raid

[@NoirHammer]

Thunderf00t, this is scientific quakery! The Predator can hide from just about everything. His way is far superior. LOL.

[@MichaelRoberts9000]

I love your videos !

[@locouk]

I had an IR web cam that could see through the black plastic of my Sony TV, you could see where the circuit boards are fixed inside and the thick plastic strengthening bit.

[@hausy]

Cool stuff TF!

[@elguinolo7358]

Wow, cool ! More, please !

[@imthatguy6292]

Mylar works perfectly if you stack it Mylar facing in Mylar facing out Wool blanket

[@SteilLaw]

Next Metal Gear Solid: Snake hides from infrared bots with fish bowls and milk cartons.

[@calypsoleigh8177]

Hi. Just want to say i appreciate that you took time to make this video and share it with us, so thank you. Also there are alot of comments so i apologize if this has been addressed already, but what would happen if you put the bin liner over top or behind the glass sheet looking thing? Perspex? Sorry lol i didnt catch what it was called. Would love to hear anyones opinions on this or any other ideas that have worked

[@vanhouten64]

Infrared Thunderf00t is spooky

[@tiniuspenius1828]

Very interesting video.

[@Banana-hammock.]

The mental shock after watching a thunderfoot video and getting a tick tock ad..

[@lucasfunkt]

More with the infrared camera please

[@Onefuturist]

That's pretty cool!

[@propertarian485]

"how do you become invisible to infrared cameras?" "hide behind shit"

[@Nygge1982]

or just don't wash yourself for a year! There are no Smell cameras invented yet, so you will be invisible!

[@kkonstantinosss2]

Commander thunderchrist. 'Tis a gracious day, whom are we oppressing today?

[@jasondoe2596]

Very cool video!