Seeing in the dark and through walls: Using IR Cameras in STEM outreach

The recent introduction of affordable infrared (IR) cameras and IR imaging attachments for smartphones has provided a unique opportunity to enhance the education of K-12 students. We have acquired a number of different IR cameras and IR camera attachments and discuss the utilization of these devices in both a college course and in our STEM and STEAM outreach efforts. While our outreach efforts have placed us in a classroom for just an hour or two at a time, thanks to local IEEE Chapter support, we have placed IR cameras in these classrooms for several weeks at a time. This paper discusses the outreach efforts and the utilization of IR cameras by 5th grade elementary school students and their classroom teachers after our departure and the wild enthusiasm that this approach has generated. A comparison of the different IR systems is also made.