January/February 2024 - 9

AIRPORT OPERATIONS
was revealed to be a collaborative effort
with Eagle Aerospace, Cisco, Luminex
AI, and Genwave Technologies. While
the demonstration focused on perimeter
inspections, it marked the initial step in
Honda's long-term plan for the AWV.
The collaboration with Eagle Aerospace
allowed Honda to delve into various
applications and set the stage for future
developments.
" With labor shortages plaguing airfield
operations, the AWV steps in as a complement
to the traditional workforce, "
VanBuren said. " Safety is the forefront
of its design, ensuring secure operations
alongside other vehicles, people, and
potential obstacles. The AWV addresses
the challenges of finding reliable labor
by providing an autonomous solution
that not only gets the job done but also
upholds the high safety standards crucial
for airfield environments. "
VanBuren outlined the key collaborators
involved in the Toronto demonstration
with Luminex AI contributing the
vision system while Cisco and Genwave
Technologies handled the connection
aspects, and Eagle Aerospace, serving as
the coordinator, provided expertise in
software and hardware solutions tailored
for airfield operations.
The AWV's operational capabilities
include a fully electric, off-road design.
Whether operated remotely or autonomously,
the vehicle's capabilities include
map creation, precise navigation using
GNSS and RTK, and the ability to
perform various tasks along predefined
paths. The prototype user interface
offers control and route development
functionalities.
" The AWV's safety features were
explored, with a comprehensive suite
of sensors ensuring obstacle detection
and safe navigation, " VanBuren said.
" While specific details about the sensors
remain proprietary, their deployment is
designed to create a robust autonomous
system, aligning with Honda's commitment
to safety. "
Browne praised the collaborative
approach, stating, " Stacking experts like
on this project has amazing results. The
GTAA is not a technology company -
we operate an airport. To get new and
emerging technologies prepared for
use on an airfield, we need to go to
the experts. "
The AWV aims to provide a reliable
solution for airfield challenges, particularly
in mitigating labor shortages
and enhancing operational efficiency.
Browne sees the integration of vehicles
like the Honda AWV into airfield operations
as a potential game-changer, particularly
for tasks in hard-to-reach areas
or those requiring precision, like grass
cutting while avoiding obstacles.
Brian Freed, Chief Operating Officer
for Eagle Aerospace, which is an arm of
Team Eagle, highlighted the genesis of
the initiative aiming to harness innovation
effectively.
" Innovation poses a challenge: for
something requiring autonomous operation
or AI, how do you transmit data?
How do you control it? The effective
proof of concept needed technology
from multiple partners, " Freed said. " We
put together a consortium: Honda, Team
Eagle, Luminex, Cisco, Genwave, and
the Toronto airport. We provided air
OPS software, coordinating and integrating
new technology with existing
operational processes, "
While the Honda AWV showcased
autonomous capabilities driving around
the airport perimeter, Eagle Aerospace's
AIROps software added a layer of intelligence
to this innovation. It offered
an autonomous inspection solution,
logging and transmitting identified
issues for review and reaction by airfield
operations staff, effectively enhancing
the overall effectiveness of the autonomous
system.
The success of this project was rooted
in a six-month collaboration between
Eagle Aerospace, Cisco, Genwave, and
Illuminex. Daily stand-up calls and
frequent sprint reviews ensured alignment,
creating a framework that seamlessly
integrated interdependent pieces
of technology. The result was a holistic
solution that addressed the complexities
of autonomous airfield operations.
This initiative marked a historic
first in autonomous airfield operations.
Freed emphasized that this test, focused
on perimeter activities due to potential
risks on runways or active apron areas,
served as a proving ground for future
autonomous operations.
" Yes, it's the first time, " he said.
" There are no official regulations for
autonomous operations on an airfield. "
48% of aviation professionals say
they expect autonomous airfield
equipment to be in widespread use
by 2030.
Source: Airport Business LinkedIn Poll
Connecting the Airfield
Airfield connectivity has always been
challenging. It's a large open area without
many suitable places to install the
required infrastructure, and it's subject
to strict regulations to avoid unwanted
interference with existing airfield and
aircraft systems. In addition, there are
many diverse needs for connectivity,
from small IoT sensors that generate very
small amounts of data, to large vehicles
equipped with multiple video cameras
generating lots of data.
Discussing the connectivity challenges
on the airfield, Browne underscored
the importance of partnerships and
collaboration in advancing technology
solutions for airfield operations. " It will
be the main way we create and advance
the needed technologies, " he said.
" It's important to take a one-sizefits-none
approach to establishing the
network for the airfield but be open to
working with best of breed solutions, "
said Maciej Podoski, Industry Lead,
Transportation, Cisco Canada. " This is
the approach we took for this project to
tailor-make the best possible solution. "
Cisco provided the network technology
backbone through its deployment
partner, Genwave Technologies.
Podoski said the Cisco Canada Country
Digital Acceleration (CDA) program has
been involved from the outset of the
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