Infrared thermography enables the non-contact measurement of an object's surface temperature
and presents the results in form of thermal images. The analysis of these images provides
valuable information about an object's thermal state. However the fidelity of the thermal
images strongly depends on the pose of the thermographic camera with respect to the surface. 3D
thermography offers the possibility to overcome this and other limitations that affect
conventional 2D thermography but most 3D thermographic systems developed so far generate 3D
thermograms from a single perspective or from few noncontiguous points of view and do not
operate in real time. As a result the 3D thermograms they generate do not offer much advantage
over conventional thermal images. However recent technological advances have unlocked the
possibility of implementing affordable handheld 3D thermal imaging systems that can be easily
maneuvered around an object and that can generate high-fidelity 3D thermograms in real time.
This thesis explores various aspects involved in the real-time generation of high-fidelity 3D
thermograms at close range using a handheld 3D thermal imaging system presents the results of
scanning an operating industrial furnace and discusses the problems associated with the
generation of 3D thermograms of large objects with complex geometries.
