company insight   sponsored by Optical Scientific Inc.

OSI sensors and systems for rapid tactical response and flight operations

OSI‘s product line of present weather sensors, AWOS systems, air flow/turbulence sensors are recognized as leaders in the global market. Building on over 30 years of ground-breaking research, Optical Scientific, Inc. has developed a world-wide reputation for accuracy and rugged reliability.

OSI products are widely used in weather reporting for transportation, aerospace, environmental compliance in industry, and scientific data collection. Drawing on our decades-long experience with NOAA, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, NASA, Argonne and Sandia National Laboratories, we are now able to offer sensors and systems for tactical and operational support:

  • Air flow and weather sensors for remote sensing and environmental monitoring
  • Modular Automated Weather Observing Systems (MAWOS)
  • Long range Optical Anemometers (LOA) for large scale crosswind and turbulence detection
  • Sensors and systems designed specifically for customer requirements easily integrated into exisiting platforms

 Table 1: Areal weight comparison of glass and ceramic – glass composite armour windows (available on the market)

HazMet 100

HazMET100 system is an atmospheric sensor station designed to be used in the event of a hazardous chemical release, environmental emergency, or gas attack. Especially configured to work with EPA’s ALOHA dispersion modeling program, HazMET100 can be deployed and transmitting atmospheric data to a distant monitoring base within minutes. With optional LP-WIVIS (developed specifically for the US Army) it can be easily transformed into a portable tactical weather station.



HazMET100 portability makes it a premier choice for rapidly evolving situations. Mounted on a moving platform, it also transmits data showing heading, pitch & roll, ground speed, relative wind speed and direction. The system features:

  • WX-200 multi-sensor
  • Control enclosure with microprocessor
  • AC, Solar, or battery power
  • Supporting mast and carry case


Wired or wireless operation:

  • Long-range spread-spectrum radio transmits wind speed, direction, air temperature, and other sensor data up to 28 mile radius
  • In wired operation, a serial connection drives a WeatherCaster™ graphic display program that includes GPS location, barometric pressure, humidity, wind chill factors, and dew point information.

Whether wired or wireless, HazMet 100 systems are capable of operating as stand-alone units, or as a networked array covering as wide an area as may be required.

 Table 1: Areal weight comparison of glass and ceramic – glass composite armour windows (available on the market)

MAWOS

MAWOS (Modular Automated Weather Systems) offers intelligent algorithms based on over 200 million hours of sensor field data. Designed for continuous weather reporting in commercial and tactical aviation applications, the system is flexible, robust, easily installed, and extremely reliable. MAWOS is designed to FAA Advisory Circular 150-5220.16D and Canadian CAR 804.01(c) Configurations from AWOS A to AWOS IIIP are offered. Typical options include:

  • Dual Barometric Pressure Sensor
  • Wind Speed / Direction
  • Temperature / Relative Humidity
  • Ceilometer
  • Present weather / Visibility


Other options can be added at customer request. All MAWOS can be equipped with:

  • Multilingual voice reporting
  • VHF ground-to-air radio
  • Telephone, cell phone, and Ethernet interface.

 Table 1: Areal weight comparison of glass and ceramic – glass composite armour windows (available on the market)

LOA - 005

The Long-baseline Optical Anemometer measures path-averaged crosswind and turbulence from distances of 100 meters to over 10 km. LOA provides true remote sensing of turbulence and crosswind measurement for applications including perimeter monitoring, artillery calculations, image enhancement, and aircraft wake vortex measurement. LOA has been used at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Sandia Labs, White Sands Missile Range, Argonne National Laboratories and many others.


LOA is a rugged, reliable sensor, immune from typical error mechanisms. Constant internal diagnostics alert the user to any signal deviation. With its advanced DSP-based design, no field calibration is ever needed.


LOA sensors are based on advanced technology tested and approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Technology Laboratories (ETL), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).


Optical Scientific, Inc. began in 1985 as a small tightly-knit company serving a predominantly U.S. customer base. Today it is still tightly knit - serving thousands of customers from mining to aerospace in every part of the globe. Our patented technology and constant attention to meeting customer needs (often in critical processes) makes us the best in the world at what we do. We can do it for you.

get in touch!

Optical Scientific, Inc.

2 Metropolitan Court, Suite 6

Gaithersburg, MD 20878 USA

Tel +01 301 963 3630

Fax +01 301 948 4674

www.opticalscientific.com

info@opticalscientific.com

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