VISION

Controlling
the wind
and realizing
safer skies

Metro Weather is a start-up from Kyoto, Japan, which is responsible for the "maintenance of air infrastructure," the last mile towards the realization of an "air mobility society" in which drones will play an active role. Using the small Doppler lidar "Wind Guardian", Metro Weather will not only visualize and see the wind conditions in the sky in real time, but also predict the changes in wind conditions in the future in order to build a safe infrastructure for air mobility, including drones. In addition, it is possible to predict wind conditions caused by torrential rains and typhoons, which have been increasing in scale in recent years, and thus prevent damage from natural disasters.

CORE TECHNOLOGY

Remote sensing
technology and
signal processing
technology

WindFore

The core technology of Metro Weather is the "Sky Scan" technology that extracts signals from noisy information, which has been cultivated over 30 years of development of large radars at Kyoto University, and has enabled Metro Weather to achieve high performance in a small size (up to twice the distance that can be accurately measured by the device).

OUR PRODUCT

Wind Guardian

DOPPLER LIDAR

Measurement accuracy
~15 km
Size
65 cm立法
* varies depending on observation mode
Wind speed resolution
0.1 m/s
Range resolution
10 m~
* varies depending on observation mode
Combining a dramatically reduced size and high performance level at a surprisingly affordable price:
The ultimate Doppler lidar
Developed through decades of proprietary research, Wind Guardian is the ultimate Doppler lidar, the only one of its kind in the world. In every aspect--size, functions and price--it boasts a competitive edge over its rivals in the market. In Wind Guardian, we have created a product that can truly make the “infrastructure of the skies” a reality.
Changes in wind direction and wind speed are measured using infrared lasers
We use an infrared laser to receive scattered light from particles and observe the mutation of the signal frequency due to the Doppler effect. This is used to measure the relative speed and direction of movement.
Measures wind speed/direction across a radius of up to 15km, highest performance in the industry
WindFore360 can measure wind speed and wind direction simultaneously at locations distant from the sensor. It can build up a three-dimensional picture of wind speed and wind direction at all locations within a radius of up to 15km or so around the sensor.
Installation of multiple units allows accurate measurements to be obtained over a wider area
WindFore360 can measure wind speed and wind direction simultaneously at locations distant from the sensor. It can build up a three-dimensional picture of wind speed and wind direction in increments as small as 10m and across a radius of up to 20km around the sensor.

A future of safer,
more reassuring skies
is close at hand.

Our compact Doppler lidar, Wind Guardian, is capable of visualizing wind conditions over cities (the “infrastructure of the skies”) in real time, enabling us not only to observe current wind conditions but to forecast future changes, thus ensuring safety in the infrastructure that is required for making the use of drones and other aspects of “air mobility” a reality.

OUR SYSTEM

Wind Foresight

Multi-Scale Wind Forecast System (MWFS)

Our wide-ranging and high-resolution wind forecasting system provides real-time forecasting of wind conditions, from several minutes ahead to several days ahead

Wind Foresight provides highly accurate wind condition forecasting data in real time, based on high-resolution weather forecasting simulations taking their default values from the three-dimensional wind measurement results obtained from Doppler lidar observation networks. This system creates more accurate forecasts of the sky environment using our proprietary sensing technology signal processing technology, created over 30 years of research. It supports the creation of a safe and reassuring infrastructure environment.
*Alpha version service starts in June 2022

MARKET

Urban disaster
Responding to the torrential rains that are occurring more and more frequently in recent times by maintaining and managing disaster-prevention facilities in urban areas and by establishing measures to prevent underground flooding and reduce the number of human casualties is a matter of urgency. Metro Weather’s Doppler lidars, when installed in large numbers on top of tall buildings, monitor wind conditions in the skies over cities in detail, making it possible to spot the accumulations of warm and humid air and ascending air currents rising to high altitudes that cause cumulonimbus clouds to form and develop, leading to torrential rainstorms.
Wind power generation
The most important element for determining whether an offshore wind power generation business can commence is the status of wind conditions in the area where the business is planned. Previously, wind speed had to be measured by using propellers and wind-testing equipment at a single observation point. Metro Weather’s Doppler Lidar means that wind conditions, an indispensable element when considering offshore wind power generation businesses, can be measured over a wider area, ensuring a high level of quality while enabling greater simplicity and lower costs than traditional technology.
Drones
Turbulent winds close to the ground level can result in large- and small-scale turbulence of various kinds, which poses a major threat to the safe operation of drones and other airborne vehicles. With the market for drones set to expand rapidly going forward, Metro Weather will provide information on wind conditions to drone operators and traffic controllers to ensure safe operation, by developing area-wide networks of compact Doppler lidars that enable a three-dimensional picture of wind conditions to be built up.
Aviation
Most aviation accidents occur during the so-called “critical eleven minutes”--that is so say, within four minutes of takeoff and within seven minutes of landing. With half of these accidents being caused by wind turbulence, the phenomenon known as “wind shear” (sudden changes in the direction of the wind in the area near the ground) is becoming a major threat to safe takeoff and landing. The compact, light-weight and low-cost Doppler lidars that we have created at Metro Weather allow the introduction of Doppler technology at regional airports, where the installation of such technology has hitherto been difficult for cost-related reasons.

Creating a
new world together!

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