As thermal cameras become commonplace on autonomous drones and vehicles, a University of Florida engineering professor is working to make sure they can’t be maliciously tricked into “seeing” things that aren’t there.
Work by UF’s Sara Rampazzi, Ph.D., and her research group reveals that thermal-based perception systems may be far less reliable and secure than previously assumed, especially for safety‑critical tasks like obstacle avoidance in autonomous robots and aerial drones.
Thermal cameras “see” in conditions where normal cameras fail (night, fog, smoke, rain) by detecting heat differences rather than visible light. These sensors help machines identify people, animals and obstacles when visibility is poor.
Read more about Thermal Cameras Used in Drones and Robots Can Be Tricked by Heat Sources, Study Finds.
