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New Zealand’s Drone-based Fog-busting Technology

Image credits: rnz.co.nz

Fogs are causing delays in New Zealand’s airports. Recently, flights at the Wellington airport had to be cancelled due to them. The good news is a spot-on technology using drones could provide just the answer. 

The newly founded enterprise has the solution to Aotearoa’s fog problem and it’s getting the attention it needs. The start-up company offering a method to clear fog at airports has received government backing. The company was set up by aviators and has carried out more than 200 tests in New Zealand and Australia so far.

The Christchurch-based company has developed a spray that can absorb moisture from the air quickly, clearing fog. Specifically, it aims to ease flight disruptions such as the three-day backlog in flights at Wellington Airport recently, when the fog rolled in and disrupted more than 200 flights.

The team is being assisted by the Government’s Airspace Integration Trials Programme, which aims to support the adoption of new aviation technology safely into the existing transport system. Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said the spray could help make fog delays a thing of the past.

Fog delays at airports cost exporters, airlines and airports significantly, and result in more carbon emissions because of extra fuel spent on diverted flights, as well as causing significant frustration and inconvenience to travellers.

The company is developing a solution that disperses a safe water-absorbing environmentally-friendly product via drone … so that pilots and air traffic controllers can operate safely. A critical area of the sky can be cleared in as little as 10 minutes. It’s a simple idea that could solve a multi-billion dollar problem.

– Megan Woods, Minister, Research, Science and Innovation

Fog accounts for nearly 30% of weather delays at airports. Worse, it is difficult to plan for, making a way to clear it invaluable. It’s a universal problem that affects countries all over the world. The results could be tragic for people who need medical attention but can’t fly as the flights are delayed. In the recent fog problem in Wellington, emotions were high as people missed their scheduled flights.

The company’s next steps include more testing at airports throughout New Zealand, with the hopes of later marketing the technology internationally. Woods said New Zealand’s emerging aerospace sector is “highly innovative and research and development intensive”.

Drones have become a household word in today’s world. At its core, however, they are Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the fly. Technically, drones are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). They are flown autonomously either by onboard computers or via remote control by a human pilot.

Digital technology is changing New Zealand for the better. Not only does it allow processes to be better, but also saves on costs. An example here is the recent project of the island nation to digitalise its forest management systems.

Another way digital adoption is creating a huge dent in the fight for a brighter future for New Zealand is via the Internet of Things (IoT). Wellington, the country’s capital has developed a Digital Twin that allows it to plan its city ahead in light of climate changes. With the technology, city planners can see possible results and check how a particular climate-related plan would turn out even before the plan is implemented.

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Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

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CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

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Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

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SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

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HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

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IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.