FODetect (from Xsight) is declared fully operational at Tel-Aviv Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Mr Yair Gannot, Director of Aviation Safety, Israel Airports Authority, commented: “During the system operation and over the past nine months an average of six items per month were collected from the runway. More so, we had no case of FOD found by our manual inspectors that was not earlier detected and visualized by the automated FOD detection system.
Source(AirportsInternational.com)
A recent article at Airport World describes Xsight’s bird detection features, read the full article here. Here’s a snippet:
One such system, Xsight Systems’ FODetect, utilises Surface Detection Unit (SDU) sensors located across the airport’s surface for high resolution and swift detection.
Each SDU combines a millimetre-wave radar sensor and an optic sensor with Near Infra-Red (NIR) illumination for improved night performance, and when integrated with an airport’s elevated runway or taxiway edge lighting infrastructure, converts them into smart edge lights which can be used to detect hazardous objects, birds and other wildlife.
The technology allows an entire runway to be scanned between each ground movement and – if required – live video, GPS co-ordinates and a laser pointer can assist airport staff in identifying the location of any FOD or wildlife, allowing for their swift and efficient removal.
All detection data and images and video recordings are archived and tagged, allowing for a comprehensive statistics reporting system, which documents all events.
Xsight have posted a new video on YouTube which demonstrates their FODetect system
A nice summary of the FAA and FOD detection appeared recently at Aviation International News, see the source article here, snippets below:
QinetiQ’s Tarsier uses a fairly powerful scanning radar, generally requiring two separate radars set back from the runway and overlapping to cover an 11,000-foot runway, as well as a slewable, military-grade camera for close target inspection. Recently, the UK company announced the integration of Tarsier with a runway and taxiway acoustic sensing system to warn of potential runway incursions.
The iFerret system from Singapore-based Stratech Systems typically uses eight non-radar “intelligent vision” electro-optic sensors alongside, but set back from, the runway. The sensors capture images in full HD quality, with a 70X zoom capability that allows swift visual assessment of FOD. The system’s software-controlled optics also compensate for changing ambient light levels to maintain daylight-like images in darkness.
The mobile FOD Finder, the system employed at Yuma, incorporates into one pallet a radar, radome, electronics, wireless data transfer and 360-degree zoom cameras, and is operable while moving in a half-ton truck. Surface-mounted FOD Finders can be rapidly linked to create a temporary or permanent fixed array along a runway. When the system is mobile, a powerful vacuum system can recover FOD while moving. The device is offered by San Diego-based Trex Industries.
The FOD detection system from Tel Aviv-based Xsight uses existing runway-edge light fixtures as mounting bases. A weatherproof above-ground unit holds scanning radar and zoom camera. Watertight electronic units, power and communication equipment contained in an underground chest support the mounting base. Runway cameras are individually slewed via consoles in the control tower. The system is deployed on dual runways at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International.
Source (AIN Online)
AirTrafficManagement.net have a short piece which highlights the fact that the FAA has published its report on FODetect
The hybrid sensor solution was tested at Boston Logan International Airport and were conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, Williams J. Hughes Technical Center, Aviation Research Division, Airport Technology Branch and the Center of Excellence for Airport Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois.
Results show that the hybrid sensor solution, consisting of integrated radar and electro-optical sensors, meets or exceeds the highest level of performance in every parameter required by FAA regulation.
Source (AirTrafficManagement.net)
It was pointed out to me (and rightly so, many thanks) that I’ve failed to mention that Xsight’s FODetect system has been granted a Buy American waiver. Details of the companies that qualify for the Buy American policy can be found on this spreadsheet.
There’s a nice little write up (with a video) about Xsight’s FODetect system over at The Times of Israel. Check out the article here, the video is included below, and has been added to the video’s page.
The IVC Research Center has a page which includes a nice little video of the Xsight system in action (FODetect). The video has been added to the Videos page.
The FAA have published their report on the FODetect system:
Performance Assessment of a Hybrid Radar and Electro-Optical Foreign Object Debris Detection System(download)
Here’s an extract from the Xsight press release.
Xsight Systems, the provider of advanced runway sensing solutions chosen by leading airports worldwide, is proud to announce that the FAA has published its final performance assessment report on the FODetect solution. The final report follows the interim performance assessment which has been previously shared with key stakeholders.
This is the final report on The Big 4 systems, so here they all are for your convenience:
This video recently appeared on Youtube, posted by Xsight, the company behind the FODetect system. It’s clearly not a real incident, and the video has been made in near perfect conditions (clear weather, daytime etc), and there’s no sound on the video , but it’s still a good demonstration of how the system works.
