Unmanned aerial system based thermal imaging systems and methods

A system comprising:

• a flight platform;
• an infrared imager coupled to the flight platform and configured to capture infrared images of a scene in view of the flight platform and output infrared data associated with the infrared images and/or the scene;
• an environmental sensor configured to measure environmental data associated with the flight platform, the infrared imager, and/or the scene;
• and
• a logic device configured to:
• receive the infrared data from the infrared imager, wherein the infrared data is configured to measure an aspect of at least a portion of the scene,
• receive the environmental data from the environmental sensor, and
• determine corrected infrared data based, at least in part, on the infrared data and the environmental data;
• wherein the logic device is further configured to:
• determine a particulate count associated with the scene based, at least in part, on the environmental data from the environmental sensor, wherein the corrected infrared data is determined based, at least in part, on the infrared data and the determined particulate count.

A method comprising:

• receiving infrared data from an infrared imager coupled to a flight platform, wherein the infrared imager is configured to capture infrared images of a scene in view of the flight platform and output infrared data associated with the infrared images and/or the scene, and wherein the infrared data is configured to measure an aspect of at least a portion of the scene;
• receiving environmental data from an environmental sensor configured to measure environmental data associated with the flight platform, the infrared imager, and/or the scene;
• determining a range between a target in the scene and a source corresponding to the target, using a process operable to determine the range regardless of whether or not the target is directly below the flight platform, the range being a distance between the target and the source, and
• correcting the infrared data received from the infrared imager based, at least in part, on the environmental data and the range, to determine corrected infrared data, wherein the range is used to determine a radiance adjustment of the infrared data based on the environmental data.

A method comprising:

• receiving infrared data from an infrared imager coupled to a flight platform, wherein the infrared imager is configured to capture infrared images of a scene in view of the flight platform and output infrared data associated with the infrared images and/or the scene, and wherein the infrared data is configured to measure an aspect of at least a portion of the scene;
• receiving environmental data from an environmental sensor configured to measure environmental data associated with the flight platform, the infrared imager, and/or the scene;
• and
• determining corrected infrared data based, at least in part, on the infrared data and the environmental data;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• determining a particulate count associated with the scene based, at least in part, on the environmental data from the environmental sensor, wherein the corrected infrared data is determined based, at least in part, on the infrared data and the determined particulate count.