"The Performance of Advanced Sensor Systems
The Airport Safety Program in EE&S"

Edwin E. Herricks

Professor of Ecological Engineering

September 25, 2008

A wide array of sensor technology is available for environmental engineering and environmental hydrology applications.  Research in Environmental Science and Engineering has been exploring sensor applications at airports to address a range of safety issues.  As part of the Airport Safety Research and Development Program of the UIUC Center of Excellence in Airport Technology (CEAT) Radio Frequency (Radar) and electro optical (High definition video) sensors are being assessed in airport settings.  Radar technologies are being used to address bird/aircraft collision hazards and the improvement of wildlife management on, and around, airports.  Electro optical systems are being used to detect foreign object debris (FOD) on airports and improve airport safety management systems.  The electro optical sensors are being used for FOD detection on runways and other airport surfaces.  A number of different technology configurations are the focus of performance assessments at several airports.  The avian radar performance assessment research adds a new dimension to earlier research that used advanced geographic information system (GIS) technologies to identify potential conflicts between aircraft and birds.  This seminar will review the history of airport safety research and review the results of recent sensor performance assessments.

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