Runway Technologies Awarded Patent for Debris Detection System

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded a patent to Runway Technologies for its optical-laser system that can monitor runways for debris and runway incursions.

Byron Derringer, who founded Runway Technologies, says the genesis for his idea came after the Concorde crash in France in 2000.  The Concorde struck a small strip of metal on takeoff, which ruptured a fuel tank, and led to the subsequent tragedy.

Mr. Derringer says his system can provide continuous monitoring of a runway surface for debris with optical lasers that can be customized to detect objects at various heights and ranges.  Once detected, another component of the system, the "object characterizer" recognizes, analyzes, and determines what is seen, and in turn, reports the information for appropriate corrective action.

According to Mr. Derringer, exclusive and non-exclusive license opportunities are currently available for the technology.  He can be contacted via email at license@runwaytechnologies.com, or directly at 240-426-7499.  12-13-2006.

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