At Dartmouth, the work centered on how ice forms, how it bonds to different surfaces, and what conditions weaken that bond. Instead of treating ice as a uniform layer, the research revealed it is the interfacial boundary — often less than 0.1 mm — that determines whether ice remains attached or releases. This insight changed the direction of the work entirely. Rather than attempting to melt accumulated ice, the focus shifted to influencing the bond itself through controlled, localized thermal effects.

That research became the foundation of Betterfrost’s approach: pulsed, precision thermal control that delivers heat where it matters most. The result is faster clearing, lower energy use, and a platform that can be applied across EVs, refrigeration, aerospace, and other critical surfaces.