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from the now-we-can-really-see-who-farted dept.
Although methane is one of the most potent of the greenhouses gases, scientists still aren't entirely clear on all of its ground-based sources. That's why researchers from Sweden's Linköping and Stockholm universities have created a camera that's capable of imaging methane in real time. They say that it could find use in monitoring sources such as sludge deposits, combustion processes, farms and lakes.
The present prototype tips the scales at 35 kg (77 lb), and shoots both stills and video of methane. It's a hyperspectral camera, which means that it can "see" light spectra not visible to the human eye. In its case, it's tuned to image the specific type of infrared radiation that methane is known for absorbing.
While it's not the first methane-detecting camera ever made, the scientists state that it's much more sensitive than anything that has come before. This should make it ideal for detecting the gas even in relatively small amounts.
(Score: 2, Funny) by pipedwho on Thursday December 03 2015, @06:12AM
They need to fit one of these in our office lift. No more freely letting out an SBD without a screen displaying vapour trail pointing back to its owner.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Thursday December 03 2015, @07:17AM
No need for expensive experimental methane cameras. A regular thermal camera does the trick [youtube.com].
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Thursday December 03 2015, @08:29AM
That's a very cold fart.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 03 2015, @04:01PM
My thoughts exactly. Can't a regular thermal camera detect methane leaks and other methane sources? So what, is this thing really that much 'better' or is it just marketing hype?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Snow on Thursday December 03 2015, @04:48PM
That video is a hoax. Its suspected that they used a can of air to make that. Black is cold in infrared cameras. Farts should be warm.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 03 2015, @10:00PM
While that video may have been a hoax I think the point maybe still valid. If methane blocks infrared it should block you from being able to see heat signatures behind it hence allowing you to be able to see the shape of the gas amid an environment with different objects of different temperatures.
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Thursday December 03 2015, @02:33PM
The D in SBD is not methane. Methane is odorless.
Flatus is about 98% odorless gases.It's the remaining 2%, a mix of esters, ketones and sulfides depending on what you eat, that provides the inimitable social character.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 03 2015, @03:59PM
But the methane is what's detectable. We can presume that the smell is coming from other things.