Seamless real-time thermal imaging system with ESP8266: wireless data transfer and display using UDP

Abstract Thermal imaging technology has become increasingly popular for various applications, including industrial monitoring, building automation, and medical diagnostics. However, existing thermal imaging systems often come with high costs and limited connectivity options. In this paper, we propose a method to address these challenges by utilizing the ESP8266 microcontroller to create a thermal imaging system that can measure thermal pixel values, transfer the data wirelessly using the ESP8266’s networking capabilities and display the pixel data in real-time on a Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal (TFT) display. The objective is to establish a seamless and real-time transfer of thermal images within a local network environment. User datagram protocol (UDP) supports transmission via broadcast and multicast, making it highly efficient for delivering data to multiple clients or devices on a network. It allows a single UDP packet to be simultaneously sent to multiple destinations, enhancing its effectiveness. This feature simplifies the implementation of network protocols and applications, reducing their overall complexity. UDP is particularly well-suited for devices with limited resources, such as microcontrollers or embedded systems, where memory and computing power are constrained. Experimental results demonstrate the successful transmission and display of thermal pixel data between the ESP8266 microcontrollers using the UDP protocol. The project utilizes the Arduino framework along with ESP8266WiFi and UDP libraries to enable network connectivity and UDP communication. The sender and receiver devices are connected to the same local network, guaranteeing efficient and low-latency transmission of thermal pixel data. The system achieves real-time communication within a radius of approximately 15–18 m, ensuring immediate visualization of thermal images on connected displays. By minimizing latency, the system enables a seamless and instantaneous viewing experience offering seamless and instantaneous image visualization for the users.