Handheld weather device could help keep construction crews safer

When lightning is nearby, high up on a roof or a steel girder is one of the last places you would want to find yourself. With the unpredictability of weather and cell phone and internet service making it difficult to anticipate exactly when and where a storm will hit, a recently released handheld device looks to add one more weapon to the arsenal of outdoor weather intelligence products that can help keep construction crews safe.

The INO Weather Pro is, according to INO Technologies, the first handheld device that combines weather data with lightning detection. Most lightning detection technologies rely on national weather data feeds, which require an internet or cellular connection to update. But cell and internet service may not always be available on a construction site, which is why the INO Weather Pro uses its own sensor to provide real-time local lightning detection and direction. The company claims the INO Weather Pro can detect cloud-to-ground lightning strikes as far away as 40 miles.

When a strike is detected, the device will alert the wearer with both visual and auditory feedback of the strike’s distance. The INO Weather Pro uses updatable software and a customizable touchscreen display that allows users to fill their dashboards with the information that is most pertinent to them. In all, the INO Weather Pro provides seven functions: lightning detection, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, heat index, altitude, and dew point.

The water-resistant device runs on a USB charged Lithium battery and has a suggested retail price of $497.

Photo courtesy of INO Technologies.