A US patent application has been published for Stratech’s FOD detection system (iFerret). Here’s the abstract and link.
Abstract:
A surveillance system and method for detecting a foreign object, debris, or damage (FOD) on a runway. The system comprises one or more cameras for capturing images of the runway; and an image processing system for detecting the FOD on the runway based on adaptive image processing of the images captured by the cameras; wherein the surveillance system is adaptively operable for FOD detection under both day and night ambient light conditions without assisted illumination such as infrared or laser illuminators.
patent:20110063445
title = “RUNWAY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD”,
number = “20110063445”,
author = “Chew, Khien Meow David (Singapore, SG)”,
year = “2011”,
month = “March”,
url = “http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2011/0063445.html“