XenomatiX’ 6D road scanning technology is now also proving its value in one of the most demanding and critical infrastructure environments: airport runways. XenomatiX recently conducted a runway inspection at London Gatwick Airport, one of Europe’s busiest airports. 

Runway inspections present unique challenges. Data must be captured quickly but accurately, and often within very limited operational windows. Road distress such as individual cracks must be identified early to prevent safety risks and costly repairs or longer downtime later. 

Using XenomatiX’ 6D road scanning system, the full runway surface at Gatwick was captured in less than one hour and converted into a high-resolution digital 6D model, including 3D geometry, runway markings and camera images, enabling the calculation of the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for concrete surfaces, along with the identification of hazards. Comprehensive reports and structured data files are being delivered, providing clear insights for airport engineering teams to guide both short-term interventions and long-term maintenance. 

Enabling Technology: XenoTrack and the new XenoLights 

The runway inspection at Gatwick was made possible through XenoTrack, XenomatiX’ road LiDAR system. XenoTrack can be installed on any vehicle quickly and is transportable even by air freight, making it particularly well suited for deployment between airports. 

Airports often allocate inspection windows during nighttime hours, when runway traffic is reduced. To support this, XenoTrack incorporates XenoLights, a set of lights enabling high-resolution camera pictures even in low-light or night-time conditions without compromising data quality. 

The combination of rapid deployment, high-speed data capture, and night-time operability allowed the complete runway to be measured within a short timeframe. In this case, the full inspection and reporting was completed within half a day, minimizing disruption to airport operations. 

The pavement inspection operation at Gatwick demonstrates how adaptable 6D road scanning technology has become — from highways over local community roads to highly critical airport environments.