Detecting Hidden Hazards In Flight

摘要

Plenty of safety systems exist that are capable of warning pilots of potential weather hazards during flight, but "some hazards can be [particularly] dangerous because pilots' eyes and radar cannot see them," said Gary Gimmestad, a Principal Research Scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). "For instance, if a plane encounters turbulence or low visibility that does not include rain droplets, radar will not sense them." GTRI is leading a team of researchers from five universities and research organizations to investigate the feasibility of using a forward-looking interferometer to detect several of these invisible hazards during takeoff, cruise, and landing.