LANXESS develops "Blue Miracle" for the detection of ground surface manipulations

18-May-2006

Employees of LANXESS have developed an luminescence indicator which, when installed in a new surface surveillance system, helps to effectively and reliably detect even small-area manipulations of ground surfaces from the air. The weather-resistant indicator is sprayed over the area under surveillance. Under normal conditions, the substance is invisible to the human eye on a treated surface. However, when exposed to the radiation of a appropriate source of light it exhibits easily detectable luminescence. Ground areas manipulated after marking are revealed under this special light by non-luminescent blue spots caused by unintentional movement of stones or soil.

The advantages of the new system are quite obvious: thanks to spray application, even fairly large areas can be secured quickly, easily and economically. Surveillance of the protected area is also inexpensive, but no less effective: it can be performed day or night from a helicopter, for example, using a fully automatic imaging software application developed specifically for this purpose. The self-teaching software compares, in real time, images of the area directly after spraying with current ones taken during fly-over, and it can even detect ground changes the size of a postcard from a height of some 100 meters. If a disturbance to an area is registered during a routine surveillance flight, it can be specifically examined by trained personnel, thus eliminating the need for foot patrols, which are associated with a high error rate. Incidentally, the software automatically classifies railroad construction work or wildlife tracks as non-critical.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/54859/lanxess-develops-blue-miracle-for-the-detection-of-ground-surface-manipulations.html