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| MIVOTHERM bird strike early warning system receives coveted Lilienthal Award | RTF Documents
english (24 KB)Further Information 
Deutsche Version
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| OBERKOCHEN/Germany, WILDAU/Germany, 06.05.2009. Developers at Carl Zeiss today received the renowned Lilienthal Award in Wildau, Germany, for the development of a system that can predict the flight of birds down to the minute. With this prize, the Lilienthal Foundation honors innovative, ambitious ideas from the aerospace industry. Developed by researchers at Carl Zeiss Optronics, the system can warn against bird strikes, thus protecting aircraft against a collision with birds. “We are proud to receive this award," says Ralf Klädtke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Optronics. “We view it as recognition of our efforts to make air traffic around the world safer with our technologies.” The already tested system – MIVOTHERM – can be used near major aviation hubs around the world. It is based on the highly sensitive thermal imaging sensors from Carl Zeiss Optronics that have proven their capabilities in international operations. It can detect and measure bird movements from a tiny sparrow up to an entire flock. “The key aspect of the system is the prompt and precise prediction of when the birds will enter the landing corridor,” explains Dr. Holger Vogel, who is in charge of the MIVOTHERM project. The researchers and technicians of the Oberkochen- based company teamed up with an unusual partner: ornithologists at Baader Konzept GmbH in Mannheim provided information on the behavior of single large birds, entire flocks and on the local conditions near airports. They were supported by software experts at FusionSystem GmbH in Chemnitz. This system is particularly useful in Germany where airplanes landing in Frankfurt cross the Main River which, based on observations, serves as a key orientation landmark for many birds. It was designed as an early warning tool for experts on the ground, informs air traffic controllers when there is an acute risk of a bird strike and uses its digital image processing system to classify the flocks into risk classes. “Not every bird is a hazard,” says Dr. Vogel. “Our system can predict with a great deal of reliability if and when a flock of birds will even enter the approach corridor and become a threat.” MIVOTHERM was already tested at a German airport during the development stage. Christian F. Hirsch Communications and Strategy Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH Phone: +49 7364 20-4858 Fax: +49 7364 20-4588 E-Mail: 
ch.hirsch@optronics.zeiss.comNumber: 0098-2009-ENG ZE Number of Words: 385 Number of Characters: 2484 |
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