Generation of a temperature map

A system comprising:

• a polarimetric camera and a processor connectable thereto, the system configured to perform the steps comprising:
• capturing a polarimetric thermal image from a non-planar surface, wherein the non-planar surface includes a surface element, wherein the surface element emits thermal electromagnetic emission responsive to a temperature of the surface element, wherein a ray of the thermal electromagnetic emission is directed to an image element of an image sensor;
• for a plurality of surface elements of the non-planar surface:
• (i) measuring a polarization state and an intensity of the ray of thermal electromagnetic emission emitting from the surface element;
• (ii) responsive to the polarization state and the intensity, determining an angular orientation of the surface element;
• (iii) determining a temperature of the surface element by estimating the thermal emission normal to the surface element responsive to the angular orientation of the surface element and the intensity of the ray of thermal electromagnetic emission emitting from the surface element;
• and from the plurality of temperatures determined respectively for the surface elements of the non-planar surface, generating a map of temperatures over the non-planar surface, prior to determining the temperature of the surface element, calibrating by measuring thermal electromagnetic radiation emittance or reflectance from a calibration surface as a function of angle;
• and determining the temperature of the surface element further responsive to the calibration.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having software instructions stored thereon comprising:

• inputting a polarimetric thermal image captured from a non-planar surface, wherein the non-planar surface includes a surface element, wherein the surface element emitted thermal electromagnetic emission responsive to a temperature of the surface element, wherein a ray of the thermal electromagnetic emission is directed to an image element of an image sensor;
• wherein the polarimetric thermal image includes a polarization state and an intensity of the ray of thermal electromagnetic emission emitted from the surface element;
• for a plurality of surface elements of the non-planar surface:
• (i) inputting a polarization state and an intensity of the ray of thermal electromagnetic emission emitting from the surface element;
• (ii) responsive to the polarization state and the intensity, determining an angular orientation of the surface element;
• (iii) determining a temperature of the surface element by estimating the thermal emission normal to the surface element responsive to the angular orientation of the surface element and the intensity of the ray of thermal electromagnetic emission emitted from the surface element;
• and from the plurality of temperatures determined respectively for the surface elements of the non-planar surface, generating a map of temperatures over the non-planar surface;
• inputting a calibration previously performed by measuring thermal electromagnetic radiation emittance or reflectance from a calibration surface as a function of angle;
• and determining the temperature of the surface element further responsive to the calibration.