A new system of icing detection sensors for airplanes and cars is being developed by Michigan Engineering Professor, Nilton Renno, and his team. Ice build-up on airplanes cause roughly 10% of all fatal crashes and Icy roads cause around 20% of weather-related car crashes each year. Current sensors for airplanes are unable detect ice build up on the surface of the plane and car sensors are only capable of detecting the ambient outdoor temperature. To help improve current systems, the Icing Detection system consists of a microwave and optical sensor. The microwave sensor can be embedded anywhere on the plan, directly detecting ice build up. The optical sensor uses infrared lasers to scan clouds or the road to detect whether they contain moisture, ice or snow. The device was built and developed in part at the U-M Space Physics Research Laboratory. Intelligent Vision Systems, a U-M startup, developed the optical sensor and licensed the technology with the assistance of Innovation Partnerships, which also has patented the sensors.
https://www.intelligentvisionsys.com/ https://innovationpartnerships.umich.edu/ Read More Here:
https://news.engin.umich.edu/2026/01/cars-and-planes-could-avoid-hazardous-ice-and-freezing-rain-wit...