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DEFENCE · SENSORS

What Is an EO/IR Camera?

An EO/IR camera combines electro-optical (visible light) and infrared (thermal) imaging in one stabilised payload, so an operator can see by day and at night. EO/IR gimbals are standard on ISR drones, patrol aircraft, border security and maritime systems.

01

The Short Answer

EO/IR stands for electro-optical/infrared. The electro-optical channel works like a conventional camera in visible light; the infrared channel detects heat, so it sees through darkness, smoke and light haze. Mounting both on one gyro-stabilised gimbal keeps the image steady while the platform moves.

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    Electro-optical camera Daylight imaging, often with a long zoom lens for stand-off observation.
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    Infrared camera Thermal imaging for night operation and spotting people or vehicles by heat.
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    Stabilised gimbal Motors and gyros that hold the line of sight steady through vibration and manoeuvres.
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    Video outputs Often HD-SDI or Ethernet, feeding a recorder or an onboard AI computer.
02

Why It Matters

Many EO/IR gimbals output HD-SDI, which travels long cable runs with very low latency. To run AI detection on that video, the feed needs a computer with SDI inputs, such as the MILBOX-AGX-SDI; our guide to SDI capture for edge AI explains the options.