Snowdrift sensor
FlowCapt FC4
Acoustic tube for drifting & blowing snow. Measures vertically integrated snow mass flux and wind speed with no moving parts, proven in alpine passes and polar research sites.
No-moving-parts acoustic sensors for harsh environments
ISAW Product Family
One acoustic platform for
snow, sand, rain & hail
ISAW sensors provide a unified, field-proven approach to monitoring drifting snow, blowing sand, rain intensity & drop size, and hailstone size. Designed for long-term autonomous operation in alpine, desert, coastal and industrial sites.
Snowdrift & blowing snow (FlowCapt FC4)
Blowing sand & aeolian flux (SandFlow SF4)
Rain gauge & disdrometer (RainFlow RF4)
Hail intensity & hailstone size (HailFlow HF4)
All instruments share a common design philosophy: acoustic sensing, no moving parts,
ultra-low power and flexible connectivity (analog, SDI-12, RS-422/485, Modbus).
Product portfolio
Four instruments, one coherent family
From snowdrift in polar plateaus to sandstorms in deserts, from rainfall microphysics to hail impact statistics, ISAW sensors give a consistent way to quantify solid and liquid precipitation and aeolian transport.
Sand flux sensor
SandFlow SF4
Dedicated blowing-sand and aeolian flux sensor. Captures saltation bursts, storm events and daily cycles, with a dual channel providing sand flux and wind speed from the same instrument.
Rain & hail sensor
RainFlow RF4
Combines a high-precision rain gauge, a rain disdrometer and basic hail detection. Outputs rain rate, cumulative rainfall, drop size distribution and hail indicators in a single sensor.
Hailstone size sensor
HailFlow HF4
Kinetic-energy hail sensor counting individual hailstones and classifying them into size classes. Provides high-resolution hail intensity and size statistics for risk assessment and warning.
All four instruments share similar interfaces and universal inter-operability (analog, SDI-12, RS-422/485, Modbus RTU RS485, 4-20 m, Data Cloud Interface adapters), facilitating integration into existing SCADA, datalogger BMS and any other infrastructures.
Applications
From research observatories to critical infrastructure
ISAW instruments are used in scientific networks and operational monitoring systems where reliability, low maintenance and robust data are essential.
Cryosphere & climate
Long-term monitoring of drifting snow and accumulation in alpine and polar regions, mass balance studies, and support for avalanche forecasting services.
Desert & coastal corridors
Protection of railways, roads, pipelines, airports and energy corridors against drifting sand, dune migration and abrasion of exposed assets.
Hydrology & urban drainage
Dense rain-gauge and disdrometer networks for real-time rainfall intensity, DSD and hail flagging, improving modelling of runoff and sewer loads.
Hail risk & insurance
Objective measurement of hailstone sizes and impact statistics for agriculture, rooftop solar, building envelopes and industrial sites, supporting warning and post-event analysis.
Technology
Acoustic sensing with no moving parts
All ISAW sensors use acoustic or vibro-acoustic principles to detect particle impacts or airflow, ensuring high durability and consistent performance in harsh conditions.
Impact & friction detection
Snow, sand, raindrops or hailstones transfer kinetic energy to a metallic or composite surface. Embedded transducers convert these signals into calibrated mass flux, intensity or size-class information.
Smart averaging & duty-cycle
Internal A-C-M (acquisition, cycle, measurement) settings allow finely tuned time resolution and power consumption while still providing properly averaged statistics over the configured intervals.
Rugged mechanics
Stainless-steel and coated parts, sealed electronics, dedicated mounting kits and optional heavy-duty tripod masts ensure long-term operation in exposed sites.
Traceable calibration
Each instrument is factory-calibrated with documented procedures and traceability, allowing consistent comparison between sites and over time.
Contact
Discuss your project or request a quotation
Whether you are designing a research observatory, upgrading a national network, protecting a specific site, or elaborating any other environmental monitoring application around snow, sand, wind, rain or hail our team can help you designing the solution or part of it with some of our sensors.