Weaknesses In Dikes Detected By Space Tech Spin-Off.

Byline: Staff Writers

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 09, 2009, 2009 A company from one of ESA's Business Incubation Centres has used space technology to develop a scanner to spot weaknesses in dike structures. It is being used to inspect dikes and dams on the Danube river and in the Netherlands.

Dutch start-up company Miramap's instrument can 'look' into the ground and measure the amount of water in the soil. This is important in checking the stability of dams and dikes. Very wet areas can indicate a weakened or even dangerously unstable structure. By mounting the scanner on an aircraft, large areas can be mapped easily, identifying point to be inspected and perhaps repaired.

Miramap's Airborne Passive Microwave Radiometry (APMR) soil moisture instrument is based on Passive Microwave Radiometry (PMR), a technology used on satellites to monitor changes in soil moisture and ocean salinity on Earth.

"We altered the space sensor for airborne operations to increase the spatial resolution from …