Long distances, challenging topography, the need for airport operational efficiency, and quality requirements - all put pressure on the performance of an airport Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) at small or medium-sized airports. The level of automation offered by current state-of-the-art AWOS systems is not sufficient to handle observations of weather phenomena, cloud coverage, and prevailing visibility (especially in inhomogeneous situations such as patchy fog, fog, or dust raised differently in various directions, different cloud cover above ceilometer and in the airport vicinity, etc.).
That's why MicroStep-MIS brings the IMS4 Remote Observer Camera-based System with IMS4 AeroVis / AeroCloud solutions that enable full remote control of the AWOS system and remote MET observations. Together with any AWOS system and the IMS4 system, complete remote observations are now possible - literally a "home office" for MET observers. This is extremely important in the post covid era as remote observations can serve as a backup procedure. The IMS4 Remote Observer, validated as a solution for the Single European Sky project ATM Research PJ.05 project (SESAR), was also developed to bring the possibility of centralizing MET observations at multiple airports/observation points, thus supporting the cost-effectiveness of airport operations.
IMS4 Remote Observer significantly enhances the current scope of automated weather observation as AUTOMETAR currently contains some weather elements reported in simplified form or omitted completely. With IMS4 Remote Observer, human MET observers are supported in the observation of some weather parameters suffering from the observer’s subjectivity and thus enhance the quality of weather observation in general. It enables also to compose of standard METAR messages remotely. Newly developed features also include automated recognition and image processing. Fully automated solutions for cloud and/or prevailing visibility observations are also available with this functionality.
The IMS4 Remote Observer based on the IMS application with any AWOS system is the perfect combination for remote observations of any airport. IMS4 is an Application Software from MicroStep-MIS, now its 4th generation, since 1993. IMS4 is designed for 24/7 unattended operation, all in compliance with ICAO / WMO / ISO / EUROCAE / NATO / EU regulations. IMS4 Remote Observer is a product certified for usage at civil airports by Slovak Transport Authority (state authority accredited by EASA and representing EASA in Slovakia). The certification base is stated at the respective Type Approval, in this case, it is the ICAO Annex 3 document. The certification scope is stated in the particular Type Approval.
