[Aeronautical Technology Directorate] JAXA begins demonstration tests on snow and ice monitoring sensors

Demonstration tests on snow and ice monitoring sensors, which JAXA has led the way in researching and developing, have begun at Kitami Institute of Technology (Kitami, Hokkaido) in December 2016. For the tests, researchers have created outdoor, underground installations of the sensors to demonstrate the technology’s ability to detect the thickness and quality of the snow that accumulates on the glass covering the sensors. By illuminating snow or ice with laser light, the sensors measure the accumulation, density, and other characteristics of the target substances. The observations from the sensors will enable airports to predict runway slipperiness, notify pilots accordingly, and implement snow-removal measures at the optimal times by detecting snow accumulation thickness. (See FLIGHT PATH No. 11/12 for more information.)