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Infrared cameras were first used in the forests of Korea, and were instrumental tools for US soldiers seeking out enemy infantry skilled in the art of stealth and concealment amidst the trees. Since then, the devices have found application in fields as diverse as archaeology, building inspection and astronomy. Incidentally, the infrared security camera has become the absolute cream of home security surveillance technology.

People these days often don't fully understand the difference between 'night vision' security cameras and infrared technology. Night vision cameras predate infrared - in fact, night vision goggles, which use an array of lenses to intensify light up to half a dozen times what the human eye could perceive, were already in use during World War II. More modern variants use CCD lenses sensitized to light at Wavelengths invisible to the human eye. Such cameras incorporate a torch that shines light at that wavelength, effectively illuminating the scene for the camera while it appears unchanged, even pitch black, to human eyes.

Neither of these designs is known for producing high-quality imagery. In point of fact, traditional night-glasses technology renders scenes into fuzzy, 8-bit visuals, whereas CCD cameras flatten scenes with their single light source, making it hard to distinguish between people and backgrounds.

Enter the infrared security camera. This vastly more sophisticated machine makes us of a microbolometer, a device capable of detecting the black body radiation of objects. Black body radiation exists in direct proportion to the heat a creature or object produces, and thus can be viewed entirely regardless of any source of illumination. The imagery that results, while it ordinarily won't allow you to create a particularly detailed picture of the intruder, will help you to find things such as their body structure, gender, and where in your home they might have left fingerprint evidence. If you go the extra mile and get wireless infrared surveillance cameras, not only will you not have to bother with running wiring all over your house - you'll also be able to ensure that the footage captured by your home security surveillance system is beyond the reach of intruders, sent instantly off to a storage cluster or private website for later viewing.

White the footage they record might be difficult for the average person to puzzle through, properly trained thermographic analysts can often formulate accurate pictures of those caught on camera. As such, infrared security cameras can be a great boon for home security surveillance where ordinary wireless surveillance cameras are rendered insufficient due to inadequate outdoor lighting conditions.

The thing to guide you in your decision as to whether to purchase what can be a rather expensive piece of audio-visual equipment (thermal cameras from FLIR, the major producer of the technology, start at around $2000) should really be need. External infrared security cameras will be totally unnecessary in neighborhoods with well-lit streets, as they will be on porches or driveways with motion-activated lighting.

One truly wonderful thing about infrared security cameras is that, due to their ability to detect temperature changes, they not only beef up your home security surveillance system, but also completely eliminate the need for smoke detectors. You can simply have your cameras set up so as signal the fire department when the cameras detect that ambient temperature has gone over a certain level. This is something you should factor into your reasoning when debating the affordability of the technology.

To learn more about Home Security Surveillance be sure to check out www.Home-Security-Pro.com.