Lufft launches VS20k Sensor to measure visibility up to 20 km

Measurement technology manufacturer Lufft announced the official launch of the VS20k. This is the first Lufft visibility sensor on the market that can measure at distances of up to 20 kilometers, thus making it particularly suitable for meteorological applications or airport monitoring. It’s an addition to the Lufft VS2k visibility sensor with a range of 2 km.

The right technology to measure reduced visibility

Air saturated with water particles, fine dust, or sand can lead to reduced visibility - a risk factor that all too frequently leads to road and air traffic accidents. Between 2011 and 2015, there were 3,277 accidents on German highways, with 107 of the 3,686 people injured killed.

Lufft's VS2k and VS20k sensors ensure greater safety on the roads and warn of emergent poor visibility conditions. Both sensors detect visibility at ranges of up to two or 20 kilometers respectively by using measuring reflectance in accordance with the 45° forward scattering principle and deliver updated results every minute. A maximum reading means that the visibility is clear.

Applications, technical details, and advantages of the new visibility sensor

Since meteorological services and airports require reliable sensors with a particularly large measuring range, Lufft has created the VS20k visibility sensor with a measurement range of up to 20 km. It complements theVS2k sensor which measures up to two km. The two sensors are based on the same measuring technique and only differ in terms of certain hardware components and the firmware.



Both the VS2k and the VS20k are low-maintenance. This is due to the anodized and seawater-resistant housing offering IP66-class protection. An intelligent self-monitoring function detects and reports dirt on the lens. The electronics' automatic zero-point calibration also helps to reduce maintenance intervals. Lufft offers a suitable calibration kit for further on-site calibration measures.
The Lufft UMB visibility sensors can connect with the measurement network via RS485 half-duplex 2-wire and SDI-12 interface.

Vibration for active spider defense

In previous visibility sensor models, spider nests repeatedly affected the accuracy of measurements, resulting in extensive maintenance requirements. This is now a thing of the past thanks to a vibrating motor, a special coating on the unit housing, as well as interference detection.
At a glance: VS2k and VS20k visibility sensors
10 to 2,000 or 10 to 20,000 meters measuring range

- Forward scattering method
- Zero-point calibration of the electronics
- Active spider defense
- Self-monitoring of the lenses
- Anodized, seawater-resistant housing with special coating
- Calibration kit (optional)