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QinetiQ rules out runway debris and helps police restricted areas
More than ever, airports are keen to be seen to be doing all they can to safeguard against foreign objects and debris (FOD) being left unattended on their runways and taxiways.The sensor unit will be relatively low cost and when used in small numbers can achieve 100% coverage of an airfield.Currently, it takes as much as 45 minutes to manually inspect a runway for debris, up to four times a day. QinetiQ's product uses high-resolution Millimetre Wave (MMW) radar to continually scan and look for FOD. It can also operate in all weather conditions such as fog and rain and can obviously be used at night, when manual inspections are made more difficult, with no loss of performance. Tim Floyd, Sales Manager at QinetiQ, explaining what else the sensor units could be used for said: "A small number of sensors, appropriately deployed, would not only monitor runways but also the apron, taxiways and airfield perimeter. This would significantly enhance debris detection rates, surface movement monitoring, airport security and so provide improved aviation safety." Another potential use is checking for intruders, whether they be human or animal.In the United States, airports still have to abort hundreds of flights each year due to runway incursions and some airports around the world are subject to wildlife straying on to the runway which causes similar problems. As aircraft become larger and heavier, the potential for risk and damage is increasing. Loss of take-off and landing slots, because of debris or inspections can be extremely costly and disruptive to airlines and their passengers. Steps that can be taken to minimise risk and liability are of interest to all parties including airlines, airports and even insurance companies.
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QinetiQ's runway debris monitoring alert system has now been proven to pick out small objects the size of a wheel-nut on an airport runway, from a distance of 300 metres.QinetiQ believes that the commercial version of this product will be able to identify small debris from up to 2km away and could also be deployed as a effective, low cost method of identifying and tracking people or vehicles moving within a restricted perimeter or other areas.