Metro Weather, a specialist in high-precision wind monitoring, selected one of JTower’s sites in Osaka to run a development project to verify the accuracy of a Doppler LiDAR (DL) system.

By using an existing tower Metro Weather was able to set up a large-scale accuracy verification site without having to build a new structure. It was fitted with multiple wind speed sensors at a specific height, the companies explained in a joint statement.

The tower in Osaka was selected because it meets the location, height, site area and other conditions suitable for verification, as well as providing easy access from Metro Weather’s Kyoto head office.

The DL system exposes infrared lasers to fine dust particles in the air and receives the reflected waves to measure wind in three dimensions.

The pair also opened an accuracy verification centre, which regularly evaluates, verifies and checks the operation of the DL system. Metro Weather claims it is the first in Japan and the largest in the world for testing DL.

The company started work on the centre a year ago when it was selected for the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation’s Deep-Tech Startups Support Programme for late-stage applied R&D.

JTower owns 7,200 towers across Japan.