Realization of a Safe and Secure Society by Providing Local Weather Observation Solutions
FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
| Updated | June 15, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Publication date | October 02, 2018 |
| Sector | Natural Disasters / Coastal Areas |
Company Overview
FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., offers a comprehensive range of marine equipment, including fish finders and marine radars. Making full use of the technology developed for marine electronic equipment, we offer extensive products and services, including disaster prevention monitoring solutions such as weather radar and ground displacement measurement systems, medical equipment such as bone densitometry equipment and automatic biochemistry analyzers, GPS chips and modules, and ETC(Electronic Toll Collection System).
Climate Change Impacts
Due to the effects of climate change, local short-duration weather disasters, such as torrential guerrilla rains, are becoming more frequent and extreme in many parts of the world. Urban flooding, river flooding, and landslides are causing serious damage to human lives, infrastructure, and industries, and the economic damage is also on the rise.
Adaptation Initiatives
As extreme weather events, such as damage caused by weather disasters become more frequent and extreme across the world due to the effects of climate change, there is an urgent need for the society to protect lives and assets from sudden disasters including river flooding, urban flooding, and landslides. FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., will provide local weather observation solutions to contribute to the realization of a safe and secure society.
The world's smallest and lightest compact X-band Doppler Weather Radar that we provide can be installed in existing buildings in towns and mountainous areas, which has been considered to be difficult in the past. It can perform high-accuracy, real-time precipitation observation at low altitudes, in mountainous areas and on islands, which has been difficult with the conventional satellite observation and large-sized weather radar. In addition, the use of solid-state (semiconductor) elements has reduced power consumption and the frequency of parts replacement, making it environmentally friendly and reducing running costs. An extensive range of signal processing is also available, enabling more accurate precipitation observation.
At the same time, we have realized a cost reduction that makes it easy for local governments and private companies to install the system. This has led to the construction of a redundant and highly reliable multi-radar system, and has greatly expanded the field of application into various fields, including but not limited to social infrastructure.
Effects / Expected Benefits
Our compact X-band Doppler Weather Radar can be installed in any location and can accurately and quickly detect local weather changes, even in urban areas where conventional radars had been difficult to install and observe. In addition, the low cost and low power consumption design of the radar made it possible for developing countries and local governments, where the introduction of weather radar has been difficult, to install the radar. We expect this will reduce the loss of lives, and damage to infrastructure and industries caused by heavy rainfall disasters, which are increasing due to the effects of climate change.
- FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. “FURUNO’s meteorological monitoring and analyzing system” (case studies and images)
- Compact weather radar introduction: case studies of private sector initiatives for national land reinforcement (Cabinet Secretariat, April 2021)
- Compact weather radar introduction: Good Practices for Global Warming Adaptation by Japanese Companies, p 65. (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, March 2021)
