When lightning is nearby, high up on a roof or a steel girder is one of the last places you would want to find yourself. With the unpredictability of weather and cell phone and internet service making it difficult to anticipate exactly when and where a storm will hit, a recently released handheld device looks to add one more weapon to the arsenal of outdoor weather intelligence products that can help keep construction crews safe.
The INO Weather Pro is, according to INO Technologies, the first handheld device that combines weather data with lightning detection. Most lightning detection technologies rely on national weather data feeds, which require an internet or cellular connection to update. But cell and internet service may not always be available on a construction site, which is why the INO Weather Pro uses its own sensor to provide real-time local lightning detection and direction. The company claims the INO Weather Pro can detect cloud-to-ground lightning strikes as far away as 40 miles.
When a strike is detected, the device will alert the wearer with both visual and auditory feedback of the strike’s distance. The INO Weather Pro uses updatable software and a customizable touchscreen display that allows users to fill their dashboards with the information that is most pertinent to them. In all, the INO Weather Pro provides seven functions: lightning detection, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, heat index, altitude, and dew point.
The water-resistant device runs on a USB charged Lithium battery and has a suggested retail price of $497.
Photo courtesy of INO Technologies.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Steel Joist Institute announces 2009 Design Awards
The Steel Joist Institute is now accepting entries for its 2009 Design Awards. The winning entries will be announced in November 2009 and the company with the winning project in each category will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship in its name to a school of its choice for an engineering student.
| Aug 11, 2010
Southern Pine Council releases certification survey results
Recent surveys conducted by the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) and Random Lengths assessed the use of forest certification programs in the wood products industry and uncovered interesting results, including the fact that approximately 61% do not use a certification system and that about 60% of southern pine producers receive regular requests for certified products.
| Aug 11, 2010
Duro-Last introduces new vinyl rib roofing system
Duro-Last Roofing Inc., is pleased to announce the introduction of the Duro-Last Vinyl Rib roofing system, part of the Duro-Last Designer Series of roofing products. The Vinyl Rib roofing system is ideal for commercial and residential applications where both the aesthetic appearance of architectural standing seam and the proven, watertight performance of a single-ply roofing system are desired.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gilbane, Manhattan Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 50 largest K-12 school contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 K-12 School Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
29 Great Solutions for the AEC Industry
AEC firms are hotbeds of invention and innovation to meet client needs in today's highly competitive environment. The editors of Building Design+Construction are pleased to present 29 "Great Solutions" to some of the most complex problems and issues facing Building Teams today. Our solutions cover eight key areas: Design, BIM + IT, Collaboration, Healthcare, Products, Technology, Business Management, and Green Building.
| Aug 11, 2010
Arup, SOM top BD+C's ranking of the country's largest mixed-use design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Mixed-Use Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
International Living Building Institute established to advance 'living buildings'
The idea of a Living Building, a high-performance building that produces its own power and cleans and reuses all of its water, is gaining momentum around the world. In an effort to oversee the global development of Living Buildings, the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) has been established.