Thermacore IPI-IM Thermal Imaging Camera

The Thermacore IPI-IM thermal imaging camera is one of the smallest and lightest thermal imagers on the market.

As a thermal core, it can be incorporated into virtually any product or device although is most commonly used in security and surveillance, research and design, UAV/drone, and systems integration applications. I am a big fan of this unit for use in my UAV/drone projects because of it’s size and weight. It is super compact, without the lens the unit is just 40x40x20.6mm and weighs just 70 gram. With my 9.6mm lens it weight around 170 grams and is approx. 70mm long. That’s awesome for something that outputs as much as the Thermacore IM.

By output i’m talking about the video quality which is outstanding for a thermal imaging camera of this size. Higher resolution cores are usually much more expensive, and physically have a larger footprint, so I was amazed with the quality and output from this 384×288 detector, which provides 30% more resolution than the 320×240 alternative technology. It also comes with the highest frame rate (refresh) of 50Hz which is stunning for the moving or vehicle mounted applications.

The following was taken with the 9.6mm lens, which gives around a 50° FOV.

There are 3 lens options available, 9.6mm (53° FOV), 25mm (22°FOV), and 50mm (11°FOV), which gives an enormous amount of scope for a variety of applications.

Incredibly the unit has extremely low power consumption of less than 1 Watt.

Another unique technology is the self-adapting image processing algorithm, that does away with the traditional ‘nuc’ or image calibration. This shutter-less technology provides a self adapting calibration of the image according to the scene ensuring crisp, clear imagery free of any noise or distortion.

The unit can be powered from 3-5VDC which can be achieved either by single cell LiPo battery or utilising a UBEC/BEC (battery elimination circuit) which is what I use on my UAV’s. This simple plug n play circuit converts a wide array of voltages to a clean and stable 5 volts.

All in all, as far as cores go, this is one of the smallest and best value for money on the market. The results speak for themselves.