High performance human information sensor

High performance human information sensing system, which can monitor the human conditions in a room, especially the number of occupants, their locations and activities, has been developed. The sensor head module of this sensing system consists of a vertical one-dimensional 16-element array detector fabricated by sheet forming method of pyroelectric PbTiO3 ceramics, an IR-transparent spherical lens, a horizontal scanning mechanical part and a cylindrical mechanical chopping part, The IR lens characteristics have been determined to optimize the sensor output. The sensor is able to detect a two-dimensional thermal distribution (16 x 60) and the human condition information in a room. The sensor is cost-effective and the sensor head module is small (64 mm in diameter and 79 mm in height) with high resolution. Furthermore, nine times higher resolution with 48 x 180 thermal distribution was accomplished by the neighbor output averaging scheme, By using this sensing system with high sensitivity and high resolution, the small thermal object such as a lighted cigarette as well as the number of persons in a room can be detected accurately. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.