regulations about avoiding ash clouds in real time while maintaining separation standards with other aircraft all doing the same thing
Huh????
I NEVER suggested anything of the sort.
My observation is that the VAAC forecasting can be inaccurate, as was especially obvious on 17th May. There is some technology (UAVs with suitable sensors) that could be used if the airlines wish to avoid losing revenue due to unnecessary shut-downs when in fact there is not enough VA to be a problem (although 'tolerable' ash density presumably still awaits final agreement...) or it's in places where it can have no effect. A way this could be funded is via contributions from companies at risk of major losses due to VA - it's a business calculation for them what measures would be cost-effective. From where I'm sitting, it looks like an excellent investment in the absence of any other improvement to the forecast....
How my suggestion could refer to aircraft playing officially-sanctioned 3D Blind Man's Buff I'm unable to explain! I was
only suggesting a method to improve VA mapping,
nothing to do with subsequent use of the resulting maps.