AVITRACK - Aircraft Surroundings, Categorised Vehicles & Individuals Tracking for Apron's Activity Model Interpretation & Check
Overview
Background & policy context:
From the arrival to the departure of an aircraft, routing or specific operations have to respect rules. Airport apron operations are listed and scheduled in action plans. Positions and movements around the aircraft are analysed to survey normal activity and to detect special events. Access within sensitive zones of an apron is regulated by a provisional traffic plan of the apron area where, as a fundamental condition, each vehicle should be empowered for a special activity in the area.
AVITRACK addressed the need to increase the efficiency of airport apron operation (thus reducing delays and costs) and also to increase security.
Objectives:
The main objectives of the project were:
- Making air transport more competitive:
Aircraft are dependent on the availability of airport bays and airport handling efficiency. Delays produce a knock-on effect, which impacts on all airport traffic and, ultimately, economic performance. Part of AVITRACK's mission was to create a new management system that can optimise platform availability and thus reduce aircraft servicing costs.
- Increasing capacity:
It is now widely recognised within the air transport sector that major increases in operational capacity will only come through changes in the way air traffic services are provided. Helping airlines, handlers and airports to make the best use of available facilities was another goal of AVITRACK. The project has allowed better information sharing between airport service providers and aircraft operators, accelerating the throughput of traffic and optimising the entire range of airport activities.
Methodology:
AVITRACK used State-of-the-Art video systems and intelligent algorithms to track objects and persons, and to interpret normal aircraft servicing operations on the tarmac. The project automatically checked the sequence and timing of movements on airport aprons. An assembly of cameras captured images of the aircraft parking zone, in which individuals, objects and vehicles can be identified. Then a computer programme interpreted the real-time three-dimensional representation of activities and movements.
AVITRACK combined several innovative technologies:
Video tracking:
The assembly of cameras monitor the movements of individuals and vehicles around the aircraft. Image processing software detects movement in the scene. Detected objects are then classified as individuals, vehicles or mobile objects, all actors around the aircraft are detected and tracked, and vehicles are categorised by functionality (e.g. loader, truck, tanker, etc). Multi-sensor data fusion is then used to create a real-time 3D representation map, which can be interpreted by the computer.
Apron Activities:
To achieve automatic recognition of the handling operations, the scene and the activities were modelled. A geometric model of the apron was formed, including the operational function of specific areas (like waiting area, ERA, tanker area, gateway evolution area, GPU area). The aircraft functional model, containing all potential contact points (like refuelling point, passenger doors, cargo doors, etc.) completed the 'apron scenes and actors database'. This static apron representation was then combined with dynamic scenarios. (A scenario is a scheduled arrangement of basic and combined events.) Each event is the result of the semantic description of activities in connection with multiple individuals and vehicles around the aircraft. Using a dedicated ontology, the 'apron activities model' database covered a large part of all the handling operations.
Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Ground handling operation recognition process:
- the video-tracking module captures the activities around the aircraft;
- the 3D generated current situation map (people, aircraft and vehicle location) iscombined with the 3D models of the apron area;
- this observed apron situation is compared to the 'apron activities model', using artificial intelligence technologies;
- every operation and movement around the aircraft, from the simple to the more
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