SkySenses

SkySenses is a sky sensing platform that operates as a network of sensors and imaging devices to monitor sky conditions, cloud cover, brightness, and atmospheric properties from multiple locations. By combining all-sky photographs, spectral measurements, and telemetry, SkySenses provides real-time observations and long-term archives useful for meteorology, aviation, and astronomy.

The core hardware includes all-sky cameras with wide-angle optics and high dynamic range, spectrally filtered photometers for solar radiation and aerosol optical depth, and a compact LIDAR module for vertical profiling of the lower atmosphere. An edge processor handles local data fusion, while transmitted data feed a cloud-based processing platform that applies machine learning to classify cloud types, detect weather events, and estimate visibility.

SkySenses was developed by SkySenses Ltd., a company founded by atmospheric scientists and engineers in the early 2010s. The prototype system was demonstrated in field tests in 2016, with commercial deployments beginning in 2018 and gradual expansion across multiple continents through the early 2020s. The project emphasizes interoperability with meteorological services and energy facilities.

Applications span weather nowcasting, aviation visibility monitoring, solar energy resource assessment, and academic research into aerosol distributions and night-sky brightness. Data are accessible via an API and a web portal, with options for private data streams and standardized data formats to support integration with existing workflows.

Limitations include ongoing maintenance and calibration requirements for optical sensors, uneven geographic coverage in remote regions, and the need for alignment with national or international data standards to maximize interoperability.