Article from BTNews 4 FEBRUARY 2019
Artificial intelligence at Heathrow
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve punctuality at airports is being examined in a trial being conducted by air traffic management service company NATS at its bespoke Digital Tower Laboratory (below) at Heathrow.
The project is testing whether a combination of ultra HD 4K cameras along with state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technology can be used to help to improve the airport’s landing capacity in times of low visibility.
Heathrow’s 87m (285ft) control tower is the highest in the UK and provides commanding views of the airport and surrounding landscape, but its height can also mean it disappears into low cloud, even when the runways below are clear.
NATS is deploying 20 ultra-high-definition cameras around the airfield, with views fed into an AI platform called AIMEE, developed by the Canada-based Searidge Technologies.
This can interpret the images, track the aircraft and then tell the controller when the aircraft has successfully cleared the runway. The controller then makes the decision to clear the next arrival landing.
NATS and Searidge are also working with Singapore Changi Airport to create the world’s first ‘smart tower’ prototype. Operational trials are planned later this month.
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