Conversion of infrared images to visible in color

An ir line scan instrument has been developed that scans a scene simultaneously with three separate spectral regions and produces an image of the scene as a color photograph. The three spectral regions are 0.5-1.0 micro, 3.0-5.5 micro and 8.0-14.0 micro. The ir detectors used are Si, InSb, and Ge:Hg, respectively. The signals generated by these detectors as they scan a scene are used to modulate three separate light sources. Each light source is filtered so that it provides one of the primary colors, blue, green or red. The light from the three sources is combined into a single beam which is moved across a frame of color film in synchronism with the instrument scan to produce a picture. The pictures are a result of both reflected and self-emitted radiation from objects in the scene. The color of objects in a picture indicates their temperature and also their reflective and emissive properties.