Startup: Thermal Radar

Author: John Honovich, Published on Sep 30, 2014

Two years ago, we covered a thermal panoramic system that covered huge areas, but came with a huge pricetag of ~$250,000.

Now a startup named Thermal Radar claims to be the 'World's First Affordable 360° thermal camera' and is offering their unit at 90% less cost.

In this note, we examine the company's offerings and see how they compare with similar products.

*** ***** ***, ** ******* ******** ********* ********** ******* **** *****, *** **** **** * **** ******** of ~$***,***.

*** * ******* ***** ******* *********** ** ** *** '*****'* ***** ********** ***° ******* ******' *** ** ******** ***** **** ** **% **** ****.

** **** ****, ** ******* *** *******'* ********* *** *** how **** ******* **** ******* ********.

[***************]

Low **** ******* *********

*** ************, ******* ***** ***** (***) ****** ******* ***** ******* ** ****** ******* ** ***** **** ~$**,*** ** $**,*** ****. ***** is ** ******** ** **** **** **** ****:

*** ******* *********** *** ******************* **** **** ******* ********* *********. *** *******, *** ****** ***** detection **** ***** ** *****, ** ******* **** ***** ******** take ******** ***** ******* ** ******* *******.

Key ******

** ******* ********* *****, ******* *****'* ****** ******* ***** ****** its housing. *** ******* ********* *****, *** ****** ** ******* ** a *****. *** ****** ********* *********** ** ** ** **** for * ***** ******, ***** *** * *******, *** ** to * ** *** * ****.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ** ********:

Key ********* *******

(** **) *** ******* *********:*** **** ******* **** ***** **** *** * ************** ******** *********** ** ****** *** * *** ** *** * 512 ******. *******, *** *** ***** ***** ************* * ****** ** ****** ********. ******* * *** ** image '*****' *** ******* ******** ** ******** * **** ***° *********. 

****** '* ***** *** ******':*** ****** ***** **** ****** ******* ******** ******, ******* ******* *.** *** *.** ***. A '*****' ** ********* ** ********° ********, ***** ***** *.* ** *.* ******* ********* ** camera *** ***** *** ****** ***.

******** ***** *****: *** **** *******, ******* ***** ****** ** ********* ***** *** ground. *** ****** ***** ***-********* ** '**** *********' *********** ***** trailers ***** ** -** **** ****. *** ******* ****** **** 'package *** ** ***** ** *** *** ******** ** *******' with ******* ******* ********* *******/***** *****, *** ***/**** ******* ******. 

*********: *** ****** ***** **** *** *** *****-** *********. ***** thermal ****** **** ***********. *******, *** *** ********* ***** ***** be * *******. ******* ****** ** **** ****** ******* *** if ********* ***** ** *******. ***** ***** ********* ***** ** very ********* ** *** ***** *** *** ** * ******** / ****** ******.

***** ********** *****: ***** *** ****** ******* ***** ** '***** **********', ***** does *** ***** ********** *** *** ************** *** ******* ***** should *** ** ********** *************. *** ************ ********** ** ****** "We **** ********** *** ***** ******* ** ** ***** *********", but *** *********** ** ***** ***** *********, ****** **** "*** currently ******* ** ***** *** ********* ************."

Company **********

*** ******* **** **** **** ****** $* *******. *** ********** team **** *** **** ******* ************* **********. **** ** **** some ************ / ******** **********, **** *********** ****, *** *** ********** ** ********* ** *********, ******** *** OV. *** ******* ********* **** ******* ******* ******* ******** *******, * ******* ******* **********.

******* ***** ** ******* *********** *** ************.

Competitive **********

*** ******* ********* ** ***'* ******** ******* ***** ******** ** ***** *****************.

*******, *** ******* ***** ********* ***** ** **** ** * fraction ** *** *.* - * ** ******* ** **'* ******* competitor,***'* ************. ** ******* ** ***** *******,***'* ** ********** ** **** ****.

Potential / *******

**** ** *** ** * ******* *** ** *** ****** end ******** *** *** *** ********* ** ******* ****** ***** monitoring ** **** ***** ***** **** ************.

*******, ***** **** ** * ******* *** * *** *******, ***** at demanding *********, ** **** *** ********* ** ******* *** ******* and *** *** *** *** ******** *************** ***** **** ***** be ****.

Comments (5)

Robby Rodjanasiraprapha

10/08/14 06:09pm

??????????

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Robby Rodjanasiraprapha | 10/08/14 06:38pm

Robby, can we help? Your question did not appear to come through.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

02/08/16 07:48am

Does anybody have any experience with TIR?

I'm currently gathering some info, and Hydra unit looks like the perfect solution, but no videos or demos anywhere, even on TIR website.

That would be great if any of you can share some info with me.

thank you!

Thumbnail brk pic1

Brian Karas

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 02/08/16 01:26pm

I don't have any experience with this unit directly, but I'll offer some advice/opinion.

Thermal cameras in general are a fairly niche market. The ideal security applications are limited, and when customers compare a thermal image to what you can get from a modern optical camera they are generally not impressed unless the application is very specific.

With this approach you have a startup, which is an inherent risk factor, built on top of a technology (thermal) that is somewhat niche and expensive.

I don't mean that you shouldn't consider TIR for your application, in may indeed be a very good fit. But you need to evaluate it in the context of what it does TODAY, not on future promised features. Also consider the product itself, durability, build quality, and what you would be left with if the company went under (to the extent you can determine that). Is it likely you could fix basic faults on your own? Are any kind of spare parts available? Can the microbolometer core be replaced or upgraded in the future without some kind of DRM-like restriction?

It's quite possible TIR will be around for a while, will continue to release new feature upgrades, and be available for warranty work. But the odds with a startup statistically say there is a high chance they will also NOT be around, and you should consider that as well. Or, in other words, you need to look at the ROI on something like this, if that is longer than 1 year, then you should carefully consider these factors before moving forward.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

In reply to Brian Karas | 02/08/16 02:40pm

Thank you for your comments Brian.

I honestly think they are doing a great job and covering some niche scenarios that could be qualified as "unique" right now.

Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts unique testing and research funded by member's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.

Related Reports

May 2018 Camera Course on Apr 20, 2018
Save $50 on early registration until this Thursday, the 26th. Register now (save $50) for the Spring 2018 Camera Course This is the only...
Rare Video Surveillance Fundraising - Verkada $15 Million on Apr 19, 2018
Fundraising in video surveillance (and the broader physical security market) has been poor recently. Highlights are few and far in between...
Best and Worst ISC West 2018 on Apr 16, 2018
ISC West 2018 had strong attendance, modest overall new products, and a surge in Artificial Intelligence marketing. First, here are 20+...
Axis Launches Mini Concealed IR PTZ on Apr 11, 2018
Axis has been a laggard in releasing IR PTZs. While the company released a laser focus PTZ (the Q6155-E tested) until now Axis has had no PTZs with...
Axis Launches ~$100 HD Camera on Apr 11, 2018
Chinese manufacturers, led by Hikvision, have come to dominate the low end of the Western market, driven by ~$100 cameras. While Axis has...
ISC West 2018 Access Control Rundown on Apr 06, 2018
For ISC West 2018, what is new and interesting in access control?  This rundown will bring you up to speed on the exhibitors, what they are...
Axis Launches First Stereographic Panoramic Camera on Apr 05, 2018
Fisheye panoramics have not had much innovation in the past few years, with their multi-imager cousins getting most of the advances, e.g.,...
Hanwha Mega ISC West Product Releases on Apr 05, 2018
While overall new product releases have been slowing over the past few years, Hanwha is releasing a slew of 6 new offerings for ISC West,...
VMS New Developments Spring 2018 (Avigilon, Exacqvision, Genetec, Hikvision, Milestone, Network Optix) on Apr 04, 2018
What's new with VMS software? In this report, we examine new features and releases for Spring 2018 to track different areas of potential...
70+ New Products Directory Spring 2018 on Apr 02, 2018
We have compiled a list of new products for Spring 2018 in the categories: Video Surveillance Access Control Fire and Intrusion Other...

Most Recent Industry Reports

May 2018 Camera Course on Apr 20, 2018
Save $50 on early registration until this Thursday, the 26th. Register now (save $50) for the Spring 2018 Camera Course This is the only...
Global Real-Time Video Surveillance - EarthNow on Apr 20, 2018
A new company, EarthNow, with backing from Bill Gates, Airbus and more, is claiming that: Users will be able to see places on Earth with a delay...
Dedicated Vs Converged Access Control Networks (Statistics) on Apr 20, 2018
Running one's access control system on a converged network, with one's computers and phones, can save money. On the other hand, hand, doing so can...
April 2018 IP Networking Course on Apr 19, 2018
This is the last chance to register for our IP Networking course. Register now. NEW - 2 sessions per class, 'day' and 'night' to give you double...
Rare Video Surveillance Fundraising - Verkada $15 Million on Apr 19, 2018
Fundraising in video surveillance (and the broader physical security market) has been poor recently. Highlights are few and far in between...
'Best In Show' Fails on Apr 19, 2018
ISC West's "Best In Show" has failed. For more than a decade, it has become increasingly irrelevant as the selections exhibit a cartoon level...
Security Camera Cleaning Frequency Statistics on Apr 18, 2018
150+ integrators told IPVM how often they clean cameras on customer's sites and why.  Inside we examine their answers and break down feedback...
Worst Access Control 2018 on Apr 18, 2018
Three access control providers stood out as providing the most problems for integrators. In this report, we analyze the answers to: "In the...
Axis VMD4 Analytics Tested on Apr 17, 2018
Axis is now on its 4th generation of video motion detection (VMD), which Axis calls "a free video analytics application." In this generation, Axis...
Arecont CEO And President Resign on Apr 17, 2018
This is good news for Arecont. Arecont's problems have been well known for years (e.g., most recently Worst Camera Manufacturers 2018 and starting...

The world's leading video surveillance information source, IPVM provides the best reporting, testing and training for 10,000+ members globally. Dedicated to independent and objective information, we uniquely refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship and consulting from manufacturers.

About | FAQ | Contact