Easy Jet To Use Infra Red Cameras To Avoid Ash

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Senior scientist Fred Prata has developed the ground-breaking volcanic ash detector that allows the aircraft to see the microscopic ash particles and avoid it.The specially developed camera will be able to give five minute warnings both day and night about ash ahead. Even better detection through the models is being developed at NILU at this very moment, ensuring that such crisis can be avoided in the future.
“Using the infrared camera, satellite data and algorithms that convert data from satellites, aircrafts will be able to get the necessary notifications every time they approach a volcanic ash cloud. The aircraft will then be able to steer clear of clouds and continue the journey instead of being put on the ground for an indefinite amount of time, as they do today," Prata says.


The technology has been patented and spun out to a commercial company, Nicarnica.

They have three products on that site, but no further details about AVOID is posted there.

The company was founded in 2009, with one of the founders being Dr Prata.
This article from 2003 indicates that the development of this technology dates back to the 1990's (by Dr Prata).

“An early prototype was taken to Sakurajima in Japan in 1991-1993…. Then we stopped development for lack of interest."

This could be the AVOID system, photo is credited to Prata.



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