New Sensors Could Prevent 20% of Weather-Related Crashes

Ice kills hundreds of travelers every year, but new sensors could finally give pilots and drivers the early warning they need to stay safe.

Researchers at the University of Michigan created two complementary sensors that detect dangerous ice before it causes tragedy. One uses microwaves to sense ice forming on airplane surfaces, while the other fires infrared lasers to detect freezing rain in clouds and black ice on roads.

The stakes couldn't be higher. Ice on roads causes 20% of all weather-related car crashes annually. Ice buildup on planes causes 10% of fatal air carrier crashes by interfering with aerodynamics and flight controls.

Professor Nilton Renno, who led the development, knows the danger personally as both a pilot and atmospheric scientist. He got the idea one winter after finding his own plane covered in ice and realizing he couldn't fly safely.

The laser sensor works by firing three infrared beams into clouds. The first two beams detect whether clouds contain ice particles or dangerous supercooled water droplets that freeze on contact with planes. The third beam measures droplet size, since larger drops are more likely to hit aircraft while smaller ones flow around them.

The microwave sensor sits flush against a plane's surface, directly detecting ice buildup. Current airplane sensors stick out from the plane and can't measure what's actually forming on the aircraft itself.

For drivers, the laser system could detect black ice ahead and automatically slow the vehicle. Research shows that reducing speed by just 4 to 9 miles per hour can cut the risk of serious injury during crashes in half.

The team tested both sensors on a single-engine airplane and a light business jet equipped with scientific instruments. Their results appear in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.

Why This Inspires

More people fly every year, and airlines face increasing pressure to operate in all weather conditions. This technology offers a practical solution to a deadly problem that has haunted aviation for decades.

Two major crashes highlight the urgency. A Voepass Linhas Aéreas flight crashed near São Paulo in August 2024 after de-icing systems failed, killing everyone aboard. An Air France flight went down in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 after ice blocked the speed probes.

The University of Michigan startup Intelligent Vision Systems developed the optical sensor and licensed both technologies. The sensors are now patented and moving toward commercial use.

Soon, the same science that detected liquid water on Mars could be saving lives on Earth every single day.