Vancouver to Complement QinetiQ Debris Detection System with Cameras

Vancouver International Airport (plans to enhance its QinetiQ Tarsier runway-debris-detection system with new cameras, also developed by QinetiQ.

Tarsier, which uses millimeter wave radar as its primary sensor, has been operational at Vancouver since January 2007, and provides the airport with automated runway debris detection around the clock.  Four radars scan Vancouver's north and south parallel runways, locating objects and displaying their images in the airport's operations center along with system alarms.

The addition of cameras, which are cued automatically, will allow airport personnel to remotely put their "eyes on" detected debris to verify its potential hazard and better deploy appropriate assets.  The cameras will be cued automatically, allowing the operations team to get "eyes on" suspected debris as soon as the system alarms.

FOD (foreign object debris) can be small and seemingly innocuous, but can damage engines, and in some extreme circumstances even lead to aircraft failure.  05-10-2008.

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