JTOWER and Metro Weather Open Kashiwara Accuracy Verification Center: The World’s Largest-Scale Doppler LiDAR Accuracy Verification Center Using JTOWER-Owned Telecommunications Tower

Metro Weather Co., Ltd. (“Metro Weather”) and JTOWER Inc. (“JTOWER”) have opened the Kashiwara Accuracy Verification Center, which will utilize JTOWER’s telecommunications tower located in Kashiwara City, Osaka, to verify the accuracy of Metro Weather’s Doppler LiDAR (DL) system. The facility is currently the world’s largest-scale DL accuracy verification center. And the first of its kind to open in Japan.

Metro Weather engages in the R&D of DL for high-precision and real-time wind observation. To solve social issues through DL utilization, Metro Weather presently conducts joint studies and demonstration projects with various companies and research institutes both in Japan and overseas. Example efforts include participating in R&D projects with such entities as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Ministry of Defense. In preparation for a phase to advance the widespread availability of compact and high-performance DL, Metro Weather has also been working to establish an accuracy verification center that regularly evaluates, verifies, and checks the operation of DL.

JTOWER, on the other hand, rolls out a service to share the telecommunications infrastructure facilities of mobile carriers in indoor and outdoor environments. For outdoor environments, JTOWER owns over 7,200 telecommunications towers nationwide (as of late September 2024) and runs a tower-sharing business, promoting their joint use by mobile carriers. The towers can accommodate diverse uses, not only for mobile carrier network development by installing such features as base stations and antennas, but also as sites to install IoT-related equipment, emergency communication systems, cameras, Wi-Fi, and various sensors.

In March 2024, Metro Weather was selected for the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) Deep-Tech Startups Support Program (DTSU), PCA phase (late-stage applied research and development), and accordingly decided to utilize JTOWER’s telecommunications towers for accuracy verifications aimed at mass DL production. The verification requires arranging DL installation sites and setting up multiple wind speed sensors at a certain height. Out of the approximately 7,200 JTOWER towers nationwide, Metro Weather has therefore selected a tower in Kashiwara, Osaka, which, in addition to easy access from the Uji, Kyoto Head Office, meets the location, height, site area, and other conditions suitable for the verification. Preparations have since been underway to open the Center.

The utilization of JTOWER’s existing tower allows Metro Weather to more efficiently establish a large-scale accuracy verification center without building new facilities. Furthermore, this creates an environment where it is possible to verify DL accuracy at any time, thereby contributing to advancing Metro Weather’s research and product development as well as JTOWER’s expanded use of existing communication towers. To further reinforce Metro Weather’s organization, the two companies will consider increasing the use of JTOWER’s telecommunications towers located throughout Japan.

JTOWER and Metro Weather are set to amplify their collaborative efforts through the extensive operation of the Accuracy Verification Center and contribute to achieving worldwide safety and security through the broader adoption of DL technology in diverse areas.

About the Doppler LiDAR(DL) by Metro Weather
The DL irradiates human-safe infrared lasers onto fine dust particles in the air and receives the reflected waves to measure wind in three dimensions, up to a 15 km radius. In addition to wind measurements, Metro Weather is currently exploring and innovating in object detection through this technology and aiming to achieve an even smaller and more powerful DL system.

Metro Weather’s Kashiwara Accuracy Verification Center

Objective
Perform maintenance and vertical wind accuracy verifications for Metro Weather’s DL research and product development efforts.

Approach to accuracy verification
Advance accuracy verifications are important in DL research and product development, as well as in conformity checks and feasibility evaluations for mass production. Therefore, in addition to cup anemometers compliant with the IEC 61400-12-1 standard, ultrasonic anemometers —which can measure wind direction and speed with higher precision than cup anemometers— will be installed at three tower locations to assess wind conditions. A comparative analysis will then be conducted with the measurement data from the Doppler LiDAR. This serves as an accuracy verification process that meets the official certification requirements of IEC 61400-12-1, ensuring validation at a level of precision exceeding global standards. This will allow for measuring the wind and comparing and verifying with values observed using the DL. This approach qualifies for official IEC 61400-12-1 certification and enables Metro Weather to perform accuracy verification surpassing the world’s standards.

●Ultrasonic anemometer
This device measures wind direction and speed based on the transmission and reception speed of ultrasonic pulses exchanged between ultrasonic transmitters and receivers, positioned opposite to each other. It can measure wind direction and speed with great accuracy, not only in a horizontal or two-dimensional manner but also three-dimensionally, which includes vertical wind, updrafts, and downdrafts. It is not a mechanically moving structure, rendering the device resistant to humidity, atmospheric pressure, and other environmental factors.

●Cup anemometer *Adheres to IEC61400-12-1
This is a type of anemometer that calculates wind speed values from the rotation rate of a windmill consisting of three cups. It is suitable for measuring wind speed outdoors or at height, and perfect for long-term data observations given its capability of recording measured data.

Overview of Facility
Site area: 494.8㎡
Tower height: 85m

Image of Accuracy Verification Center

JTOWER
(1) Company Name: JTOWER Inc.
(2) Location: 2-2-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
(3) Representative Director: Atsushi Tanaka
(4) Business: Sharing of telecommunications infrastructure in Japan and abroad, etc.
(5) Established: June 15, 2012

Metro Weather
(1) Company name: Metro Weather Co., Ltd.
(2) Location: 18-1 Chayaura Hironocho, Uji, Kyoto, Japan
(3) President & CEO: Junichi Furumoto
(4) Business: Development, manufacturing and sales of atmospheric measurement equipment based on remote sensing technology, etc.
(5) Established: May 13, 2015