Changi Airport implements AI technology to detect runway debris

Singapore's Changi Airport has announced a technological partnership to develop an advanced version of its iFerret monitoring system. The new AI-powered technology is designed to identify foreign objects on runways as small as four centimeters with an approximately 95 percent accuracy rate.

The system utilizes twelve strategically placed intelligent towers equipped with advanced camera systems. These cameras use artificial intelligence to distinguish between actual hazards and harmless shadow reflections on wet asphalt, a significant improvement over previous software versions that suffered from frequent false alarms due to water reflections.

By providing continuous and fully automated monitoring, the system aims to detect dangerous debris more quickly to prevent costly disruptions in flight operations. Changi Airport serves as one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, managing an average of 1,025 daily flight movements.