Remote thermal detection

Roel Baardman wrote:
So, unless you can form a 2D image of the particles'
velocity and have the ic process that image, I don't
see how you would do it.

I should, of course, have referred to an image
of the particles, not of the particles' velocity.


The particles moving inside a thermal are what I think you should
process. Little bugs lifting with the thermal, or even birds for a
start. Perhaps the curly movement of the cloud above the thermal in
the end?

If you can have some electronics spot that falcon circling a few miles
ahead in that killer thermal, this can already give you an advantage I
guess.

The ic bases its estimate of velocity on how fast points
are moving across its field of view. The field of view
is dependent on any aircraft movement, optical distortion
in the canopy, shadows. Removing the optical analogue of
"ground clutter" would also be necessary.

The resolution required to spot birds (let alone
"particles or bugs") at an interesting range
would be impressive.

Never say never, but I'd be interested to see the
false positive rate!