Our AI video analytics suite against Xsight FODetect, Trex FOD Finder and Pharovision Sentinel: runway FOD and where the software runs.
The named competitors are strong FOD detection systems, and two of them are built around fixed radar or optical hardware installed beside the runway. Our suite is software that runs on camera networks at the edge, so the comparison is not only detection performance but whether you buy a hardware line or an analytics layer you can point at your own cameras.
This is a fielded analytics capability, not a concept. It runs at the edge on existing or new camera networks and finds runway debris from 7 mm in a sub-30-minute scan with 2 to 3 personnel and guided retrieval. It also does automated aircraft detection, tracking and friend-or-foe recognition, perimeter and critical-area surveillance with low false-alarm rates, suspect-vehicle tracking and man-overboard detection, across RGB, infrared, audio and point-cloud sources. Data annotation and custom model development are offered as services.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratAI video analytics suite | Xsight SystemsFODetect1Israel | Trex Aviation SystemsFOD Finder V2 Fixed2United States | PharovisionSentinel3United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detection approach123This is the fundamental difference. FODetect and Trex are radar-based hardware installed beside the runway; Pharovision is a fixed optical system; ours is analytics software that runs on cameras you may already own. | Edge AI computer vision on existing or new camera networks | Fusion of millimeter-wave radar and electro-optical high-definition imaging in fixed units | Dual-sensor fixed system using millimeter-wave (MMW) radar | Optical (electro-optical) scanning of runway, taxiway and tarmac surfaces |
| Smallest FOD detected123We publish a 7 mm detection floor. None of the three names a minimum FOD size on its public page, which is common in this market because size depends heavily on lighting, range and surface. Treat all four as figures to verify against the relevant standard (FAA AC 150/5220-24 or EUROCAE ED-235A) on your own runway. | 7 mm debris | Not published as a size figure on the product page | Not published as a size figure on the product page | Not published as a size figure on the product page |
| Detection range or coverage123The competitors state per-unit detection range; we state scan time and crew for a full runway sweep. These are different measures, so a coverage comparison needs the number of units each vendor requires for your runway length. | Runway scan in under 30 minutes with 2 to 3 personnel; multi-camera coverage | Continuous monitoring of runways; unit spacing not published on the page | Detection range 50 ft to 350 ft (15 m to 105 m) per unit; 4 scans per minute over -55 to 55 degrees | Detects objects on the runway or taxiway from more than 800 m away |
| Location accuracy123Trex publishes a 1.5 m geo-tag accuracy; we publish guided retrieval without a metre figure. That accuracy number is recorded as a gap for our system. | Guided retrieval to the debris; geo-location accuracy not published as a figure | Sensor camera can visually validate the FOD to avoid false alarms; accuracy figure not published | Geo-tagging accuracy 5 ft (1.5 m) | Instantly displays the geo-location of the object on an aerial map of the airfield |
| Day, night and all-weather operation123Radar systems (FODetect, Trex) have a genuine advantage in fog and heavy precipitation that an optical or camera-based system does not match. This is an honest limit of a vision-based approach in the worst weather. | 24/7 perimeter and critical-area monitoring with low false-alarm rates | 24/7 automatic detection, day and night, in all weather | All weather, day and night; radar penetrates fog, rain, snow, haze, sandstorm | Day or night operation stated; all-weather claim not detailed on the page |
| Standards referenced123Pharovision explicitly claims to exceed the FAA Advisory Circular (AC 150/5220-24). We do not publish a named certification, which is recorded as a gap; for a civil airport buyer, the FAA or EUROCAE standard is often a gating requirement. | Not published as a named certification | Referenced against FAA FOD detection equipment guidance | Networked FOD system aligned to FAA runway FOD detection expectations | States it exceeds all requirements of the FAA Advisory Circular for FOD detection systems |
| Scope beyond runway FOD123The three competitors are focused FOD systems. Ours is a broader analytics suite that also covers perimeter, maritime and vehicle tasks on the same camera networks, which changes the value if the buyer wants one analytics layer rather than a single-purpose line. | Aircraft tracking and friend-or-foe recognition, perimeter and critical-area surveillance, suspect-vehicle tracking, man-overboard detection | FOD and bird-hazard detection (BirdWise); part of the RunWize suite | FOD detection and networked alerting; runway-focused | FOD detection with recording for investigation; runway-focused |
| Data types123 | RGB, infrared, audio and point cloud | Radar plus electro-optical imaging | Radar plus optical camera imagery | Electro-optical imagery |
| Deployment model123 | Edge AI on existing or new camera networks; data annotation and model development offered as services | Fixed radar and EO units installed along the runway | Fixed units installed adjacent to the runway; networked | Fixed optical units; multiple units cover an entire airfield |
| Origin and export exposure123 | Independent, non-aligned origin, supplied and supported by one accountable team | Xsight Systems, Israel | Trex Aviation Systems, United States | Pharovision, United States |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The real choice is hardware line versus analytics layer.
FODetect and Trex are radar-based systems installed beside the runway, and Pharovision is a fixed optical system. Each is a purpose-built hardware line for one job. Ours is analytics software that runs at the edge on camera networks you may already own, and the same suite covers perimeter, maritime and vehicle tasks rather than runway FOD alone. That is not a better-or-worse question; it is a different purchase. If the requirement is a certified single-purpose FOD line for a civil airport, a dedicated radar system has advantages. If the requirement is one analytics layer across several security tasks on existing cameras, that is where ours fits.
On weather, a radar system has an honest edge.
Trex states its millimeter-wave radar penetrates fog, rain, snow, haze and sandstorm, and FODetect states all-weather 24/7 detection. A camera-based approach, including ours, cannot match radar in the worst fog and precipitation, because it depends on what the optical and infrared sensors can see. That is a genuine limit to state plainly. Where a vision approach earns its place is cost, breadth of task and the ability to use the buyer's own footage as the acceptance test.
Certification and geo-accuracy are the gaps to close before a civil buy.
Pharovision claims to exceed the FAA Advisory Circular for FOD detection, and Trex publishes a 1.5 m geo-tag accuracy. We publish a 7 mm detection floor and guided retrieval, but not a named certification or a metre-level geo-accuracy figure, and both are recorded as gaps. For a civil airport the FAA AC 150/5220-24 or EUROCAE ED-235A standard is often a gating requirement, so a buyer in that market should resolve certification early. For a military airfield or a broader security estate, the breadth of the suite and the non-aligned origin carry more weight.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Xsight FODetect or Trex FOD Finder for runway FOD detection?
FODetect and Trex are strong radar-based systems: FODetect fuses millimeter-wave radar with electro-optical imaging, and Trex's MMW radar penetrates fog, rain and snow with 1.5 m geo-tagging. The trade is that both are fixed hardware lines installed beside the runway for one job. Ours is edge AI that runs on existing or new camera networks, finds debris from 7 mm in a sub-30-minute scan with 2 to 3 personnel, and also covers perimeter, maritime and vehicle tasks on the same cameras, from an independent, non-aligned supplier. If you want one analytics layer rather than a single-purpose radar line, that is the reason to consider it.
Does camera-based FOD detection work as well as radar in bad weather?
Not in the worst weather, and it is honest to say so. Radar systems like Trex penetrate fog, rain, snow, haze and sandstorm, which a vision-based system cannot fully match because it depends on what the optical and infrared sensors can see. Where a camera-based approach earns its place is cost, the breadth of tasks it covers on one network, and the ability to validate performance on your own footage before you buy.
How small a piece of debris can it detect on a runway?
We publish a 7 mm detection floor in a runway scan that takes under 30 minutes with 2 to 3 personnel. None of the three named competitors publishes a minimum FOD size on its public page, which is common because detection size depends on lighting, range and surface. The right way to settle it is a trial against the relevant standard (FAA AC 150/5220-24 or EUROCAE ED-235A) on your own runway.
Can it use the cameras we already have?
Yes. It is edge AI designed to run on existing or new camera networks across RGB, infrared, audio and point-cloud sources, and data annotation and custom model development are offered as services. That is the structural difference from FODetect, Trex and Pharovision, which are fixed hardware units installed beside the runway. Your own footage becomes the acceptance test rather than a vendor demonstration.
Is this a fielded capability or a prototype?
Fielded. It finds runway debris from 7 mm in a sub-30-minute scan with 2 to 3 personnel, and it also does aircraft tracking and friend-or-foe recognition, perimeter and critical-area surveillance, suspect-vehicle tracking and man-overboard detection, on edge AI across RGB, infrared and point-cloud sources. The figures quoted here are the delivered specification.
Is it certified to the FAA or EUROCAE FOD standard?
We do not publish a named certification, and that is recorded as a gap. Pharovision states it exceeds the FAA Advisory Circular for FOD detection, and Xsight and Trex reference the FAA guidance. For a civil airport, the FAA AC 150/5220-24 or EUROCAE ED-235A standard is often a gating requirement, so resolve certification early. For a military airfield or a wider security estate, the breadth of the suite and the non-aligned origin usually weigh more heavily.
Sources
- 1. Xsight Systems, FODetect automated FOD detection (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor page: fusion of millimeter-wave radar with electro-optical HD imaging, 24/7 all-weather detection day and night, operator visual validation, part of the RunWize suite with BirdWise.
- 2. Trex Aviation Systems, FOD Finder V2 Fixed (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor page: dual-sensor MMW radar, detection range 50 to 350 ft (15 to 105 m), geo-tag accuracy 5 ft (1.5 m), 4 scans per minute over -55 to 55 degrees, all-weather day and night, networked alerting.
- 3. Pharovision, Sentinel comprehensive FOD detection systemRetrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor page: optical scanning of runway/taxiway/tarmac, detects objects from more than 800 m, instant geo-location on an airfield map, states it exceeds all FAA Advisory Circular requirements for FOD detection.