Airborne Volcanic Object Imaging Detector (AVOID)

AVOID is the name of a new instrument that will allow aeroplanes to fly through volcanic ash clouds and combat unnecessary disruptions. Volcanic ash clouds are very difficult to detect from aircraft as no onboard cockpit instruments exist to detect them. AVOID will allow pilots to detect ash plumes up to 100 km ahead and fly safely around them.

The system uses two fast-sampling infrared cameras, mounted on a forward facing surface, that are tuned to detect volcanic ash. This system can detect ash concentrations of <1 mg/m3 to > 50 mg/m3, giving pilots approximately 7-10 minutes warning. In the later half of 2011, it was used in a test flight over Mt Etna, the active volcano that casts its shadow over the Mediterranean island.