The future of
thermal sensing
is polarimetric.
Frenel Imaging and WRAP Inc. are joining forces to deploy operational AI-powered polarimetric thermal technology into next-generation electro-optical systems — unlocking target detection and classification capabilities no competitor can currently match.
EO/IR is commoditized.
Intelligence is not.
Resolution, stabilization, and SWaP are table stakes. Defense, border security, and critical infrastructure customers now demand better detection and classification — not just sharper video.
2D temperature maps with critical blind spots
When targets share similar thermal signatures — or hide behind camouflage, fog, or complex backgrounds — conventional thermal cameras fail. They see heat. Nothing more.
- No material differentiation — temperature only
- Drones and birds share identical thermal signatures
- Camouflage defeats thermal contrast
- Cannot determine surface orientation or texture
- High false-positive rates in complex scenes
A new physics-based data layer — from the same sensor
TPiCore® extracts hidden polarization data from LWIR sensors in real time, adding material properties, surface orientation, and object classification to every frame.
- Classifies materials — metal, fabric, organic, composite
- Deterministic drone vs. bird discrimination
- Detects camouflaged objects in natural backgrounds
- Works in fog, smoke, and adverse conditions
- Fully passive — no RF emissions, no active illumination
Not image enhancement.
New data entirely.
TPiCore® is Frenel's patented AI Image Signal Processor. It extracts the full Stokes parameter set — Degree of Linear Polarization (DoLP) and Angle of Linear Polarization (AoLP) — from Division of Focal Plane sensors. The result is actionable imagery that no standard processing pipeline can produce.
DoLP — material identity
Reveals surface properties. Man-made objects polarize differently from natural terrain — instantly detectable.
AoLP — surface orientation
Reveals object geometry. Enables 3D reconstruction from a single 2D sensor frame.
DoFP sensor fusion
Micro-polarizer array captures all four Stokes parameters simultaneously — no moving parts, no frame loss.
Nvidia Jetson edge
Runs entirely on Nvidia Jetson Orin AGX/NX — real-time, on-device, zero cloud dependency.
Seven-stage AI pipeline.
One real-time output.
AI Content-Aware
Scene-adaptive preprocessing
Temporal Denoising & NUC
Non-uniformity correction
AI Demosaicing
Super-resolution reconstruction
Denoising & Sharpening
Polarimetric-aware enhancement
Classifier
Multi-factor material classification
Tracking & Targeting
Persistent polarimetric tracking
Automation
Alerts, C2 integration, outputs
Proven in the field.
TPiCore® has been operationally tested across ground, aerial, and maritime scenarios — with real-time on-device processing.
Counter-UAS drone detection
Frenel detects nano-drones at 400m and medium quadcopters at 500–750m — including against-clutter scenarios where standard thermal fails. Deterministic drone-vs-bird classification eliminates false positives at 500m.
400–750m operational range demonstratedAnti-camouflage detection
Man-made objects emit thermally polarized radiation with distinct signatures vs. natural materials. TPiCore® highlights camouflaged targets — blankets, cameras, equipment — against dense vegetation invisible to standard thermal.
Tested with operational ground gimbalMaritime surveillance
Polarimetric thermal maintains object differentiation in cold maritime environments where standard thermal loses contrast. Person-in-water detection between breaking waves — validated against both standard thermal and day cameras.
Person-in-water detection demonstratedAerial & ground operations
Real-time detection and classification of vehicles, objects, and terrain from drone-mounted payload. Terrain slope analysis, debris detection, and non-natural object identification — demonstrated in February 2026 live flight tests.
Validated Feb 2026 flight testsFrenel technology.
WRAP value chain.
Market leadership.
This partnership combines Frenel's production-ready polarimetric AI ISP with WRAP's established E/O systems and US defense market channels — creating a first-mover position competitors cannot match.
The sensing intelligence
TPiCore® ISP, polarimetric sensor stacks, patented AI pipeline, and field-validated performance across all operational domains.
The US value chain
Established US value chain, defense and public safety channels, C-UAS ecosystem, and manufacturing scale.
A category-defining product
The first production-ready polarimetric thermal EO/IR system — opening new revenue streams across drone defense, border security, maritime, and critical infrastructure.
Award-winning. Industry-backed.
2024 SPIE Prism Award Winner
TPiCore® was named winner in the software category at the 2024 SPIE Prism Awards — the international society for optics and photonics’ premier competition recognizing the year’s most innovative photonics products.
NVIDIA Inception Member
Frenel is a member of NVIDIA Inception, the program accelerating leading AI startups — supporting TPiCore®’s real-time edge deployment on the Jetson Orin platform.
Six verticals.
One platform.
TPiCore® is engineered for versatility across operational domains — from defense perimeters to autonomous vehicles and offshore infrastructure.
Ready to see
beyond thermal?
Whether you're an integrator, defense program, or technology partner — we want to hear from you. Start with a technical evaluation and discover what polarimetric thermal can do for your application.
