Thermal Drone Inspection Calculator

Calculate thermal camera resolution, defect detection capability, and flight parameters for building, solar panel, and infrastructure inspections.

Thermal resolution (H pixels)

Thermal resolution (V pixels)

Horizontal FOV (°)

Flight altitude (m)

NETD (mK)

Min defect size (cm)

Inspection area (m²)

Flight speed (m/s)

Image overlap (%)

Ambient temp (°C)

Expected surface temp (°C)

Tab to move between fields

Spatial resolution (cm/px)

1.64

Pixels on min defect

6.1

Detection level (0-3)2

IFOV (mrad)1.09

Min detectable ΔT (°C)0.25

Frame width on ground (m)10.9

Frame height on ground (m)8.6

Flight passes6

Total thermal frames48

Flight time (min)1.1

Max altitude for recognition (m)15.3

Required frame rate (Hz)0.7

Detection CapabilityRecognition (6-12 px)

Temp Delta DetectableYes

How to Use This Calculator

Enter thermal camera resolution (H × V pixels), horizontal field of view (°), and flight altitude (m).
Set NETD (mK) — the camera's thermal sensitivity, typically 25–50 mK for inspection cameras.
Enter the minimum defect size (cm) you need to detect (e.g., delamination, hot spots).
Review spatial resolution (cm/px), pixels on the minimum defect, and detection confidence level.
If pixels-on-defect is below 9, reduce altitude or use a camera with a longer focal length.

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