An automated system for the pyroelectric imaging of polar substrates has been developed. The principle of operation, details of the optical and mechanical subsystems, and a description of the system hardware, interface, and software for data acquisition and display are given. The automation has made possible routine scans of high resolution and/or large areas of pyroelectric materials, such as LiNbO3 and ZnO. Features of the system are highlighted by means of a first ever reported pyroelectric imaging of proton-exchanged LiNbO3, which is an important material for optical waveguides. © 1994 IEEE