MCST grants €194,000 to local researchers for an innovative engineless taxiing solution for aircraft
SATMET: Situation Awareness and Traffic Management for Engineless Taxiing – a newly developed aerospace technology – was shared today with stakeholders from the aviation industry and the public, during a half day dissemination event which took place on Friday December 11, at the Chaplain’s Hall at Esplora, Interactive Science Centre, Kalkara.
The SATMET project was led by the Institute of Aerospace Technologies at the University of Malta in collaboration with HandsOn Systems and Malta Air Traffic Services. The 30 month long project came to a close with today’s dissemination event and was funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through the FUSION: R&I Technology Development Programme.
Although the pandemic has impacted the aviation industry and airport operations in many ways, in general, the aviation industry is being driven to adopt more sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies for all phases of flight, including ground operations. Currently, in most airports around the world, aircraft use very inefficient operations such as one or more of their main engines to move from the gate to the runway or vice-versa. This is especially evident at large airports such as Heathrow and Frankfurt, where taxi times greater than 20 minutes are normal.
The SATMET project developed an innovative solution for engineless taxiing based on the use of self-driving electric tow trucks to tow aircraft between the gate and the runway. This means that the aircrafts’ engines can remain off during taxiing, thus reducing emissions, noise, brake wear and maintenance costs. The solution has the potential to improve safety at the apron because all engines are off and no jet blast is produced.
The researchers were faced with a number of operational challenges during the process, such as keeping the tow trucks ‘aware’ of their surroundings, ensuring that the tow trucks can navigate on their own and tow aircraft safely in an airport environment. A second main challenge was to manage a fleet of tow trucks. The tow trucks need to be managed in an efficient manner to minimise delays and prevent traffic conflicts. This must be done in synchronicity with Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Project leader Dr Ing. Jason Gauci said that although faced with challenges the project outcomes were very promising. The consortium came up with algorithms to allocate tow trucks to arriving and departing aircraft and to compute conflict-free taxi routes between aprons and runways; Algorithms able to fuse data from multiple sensors (LIDAR and stereovision) to detect and track obstacles – including vehicles and stationary objects – around aircraft and tow trucks; Image processing algorithms to detect and track taxiway line markings, and to assess the position of aircraft and tow trucks relative to the centre of a taxiway; and a Graphical User Interface that can be used by ATC to monitor the state of each aircraft and tow truck and to interact with the technology for example to modify routes. The highlights of the SATMET technologies were presented to the participants. An interactive panel discussion took place with those present during the event.
Dr. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, MCST Executive Chairman said that “The Malta Council for Science and Technology has been given a mandate to offer support not only to academic institutions, but also to private and public entities which foster research and innovation to drive international competitiveness. To date we have granted 11 million Euro in funding to enable researchers and innovators to tackle ambitious and challenging areas. We are very optimistic that our investment in the rising stars of research and innovation will not only enhance the research talent pipeline in our country, but will also continue to support those who are determined to solve the most difficult questions – whether these are in frontier science, our changing economy or our evolving society.”
The Hon. Owen Bonnici, Minister for Research, Innovation and the Co-ordination of post COVID-19 Strategy,congratulated the project lead entity, as well as their partners for the progress in a project that is shortly coming to a successful end. “Investment in Research and Innovationto generate economic wealth,” continued Minister Bonnici, “as well as the formation of consortia between public and private entities are of utmost importance. Transfer achieved in both directions within a consortium, is crucial to concretising research to deliver solutions to challenges faced not only within science, but within economic growth and competitive impact.”
11 ta’ Diċembru 2020
L-MCST tiffinanzja €194,000 lil riċerkaturi lokali li żviluppaw soluzzjoni biex imexxu l-ajruplani waqt it-taxiing permezz ta’ tow trucks
SATMET: Situation Awareness and Traffic Management for Engineless Taxiing – teknoloġija ġdida aerospazjali – li ġiet imnedija llum ma’ persuni fil-qasam tal-industrija tal-avjazzjoni u l-pubbliku waqt konferenza li seħħet illum fiċ-Chaplain’s Hall, l-Esplora, iċ-Ċentru Interattiv tax-Xjenza, l-Kalkara.
Il-proġett SATMET li ħa 30 xhar biex jitlesta, ġie fi tmiemu b’dan l-avveniment. Kien iffinanzjat mill-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (MCST) permezz tal – programm nazzjonali tar-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni, FUSION: R&I Technology Development Programme. Il-proġett kien immexxi mill-Istitut tat-Teknoloġiji Aerospazjali b’kollaborazzjoni ma’ HandsOn Systems u l- Malta Air Traffic Services.
Għalkemm il-pandemija kellha impatt negattiv fuq l-industrija u l-operat tal-avjazzjoni, b’mod aktar ġenerali, l-industrija tal-avjazzjoni qed tiġi mħeġġa li tfittex teknoloġiji aktar sostenibbli u favur l-ambjent fl-istadji kollha tat-titjir, inkluż l-operat fuq l-art. Daż-żmien, f’ħafna ajruporti madwar id-dinja, l-inġenji tal-ajru jużaw operat ineffiċjenti, bħal per eżempju kif imexxu l-magni ewlenin tagħhom mill-gate għar-runway u viċi-versa. Dan jidher biċ-ċar l-aktar f’ajruporti bħal-Heathrow u Frankfurt, fejn bħalissa hija normalità li biex jitmexxew dawn l-inġenji tal-ajru jdumu aktar minn 20 minuta.
Il-proġett SATMET żviluppa soluzzjoni innovattiva sabiex jitmexxew dawn l-inġenji tal-ajru mingħajr l-użu tal-magni prinċipali tal-ajruplan, permezz ta’ trakkijiet tal-irmonkar li ma jirrikjedux sewwieq biex jirmonka l-ajruplan bejn il-gate u r-runway. Dan ifisser li l-magni tal-ajruplan jistgħu jibqgħu mitfija waqt l-immanuvjar tat-taxiing. B’hekk ikunu qegħdin jitnaqsu l-emissjonijiet, l-istorbju, milli ssir ħsara lill-magna u l-ispejjeż tal-manutenzjoni. Din is-soluzzjoni għandha l-potenzjal li żżid is-sigurtà madwar l-art fejn jiġu mmanuvrati l-ajruplani għaliex il-magni kollha jkunu mitfija u allura ma joħroġx jet blast.
Waqt il-proċess, ir-riċerkaturi ffaċċjaw numru ta’ sfidi fejn jidħol l-operat. Riedu jaċċertaw li t-trakkijiet tal-irmonkar ikunu ‘konxji’ tal-madwar tagħhom, jassiguraw li dawn it-trakkijiet jistgħu jinnavigaw waħedhom u b’hekk imexxu l-ajruplan b’mod sigur fl-ambjent ta’ ajruport. It-tieni sfida ewlenija kienet li jmexxu flotta ta’ trakkijiet tal-irmonkar. Dawn Riedu jitmexxew b’mod effiċjenti sabiex jitnaqqas il-ħin ta’ dewmien u jipprevjenu kunflitti tat-traffiku. Dan għandu jsir b’kollaborazzjoni sħiħa mal-Kontroll tat-Traffiku tal-Ajru (ATC).
Il-mexxej tal-proġett Dr Ing. Jason Gauci qal li “għalkemm kellna nħabbtu wiċċna ma’ sfidi kbar, ir-riżultati tal-proġett jippromettu ħafna. Il-konsorzju ħareg b’algoritmi sabiex inpoġġu t-trakkijiet fil-postijiet neċessarji għall-ajruplani li jaslu u jitilqu. Kellna nikkalkulaw rotot li ma’ joħolqux konflitt bejn l-art fejn jiġu mmanuvrati l-ajruplani u r-runway. Ħriġna b’algoritmi kapaċi jgħaqdu d-data li tinħareġ minn diversi sensuri (LIDAR and stereovision) sabiex jindunaw fejn ikun hemm ostakkli – inkluż xi oġġetti fin-nofs bħal vetturi – fil-madwar tal-ajruplani u t-trakkijiet tal-irmonkar. Użajna algoritmi li jużaw r-ritratti sabiex jagħrfu fejn hemm l-marki tat-taxiway kif ukoll biex jistudjaw il-pożizzjoni tal-ajruplani u t-trakkijiet tal-irmonkar fir-rigward taċ-ċentru tat-taxiway. Użajna Il-Graphical User Interface sabiex jintuża mill-ATC biex jissorveljaw fejn qiegħed kull ajruplan u kull trakk tal-irmonkar ħalli jkunu jistgħu jimmodifikaw ir-rottot.” It-Teknoloġiji ewlenin ta’ SATMET ġew ippreżentati mal-parteċipanti preżenti. Diskussjoni interattiva minn nies esperti fuq panel, segwiet.
Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-MCST, qal li “il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija ngħata mandat sabiex joffri sostenn mhux biss lill-istituzzjonijiet akkademiċi, iżda wkoll lill-entitajiet pubbliċi u privati, li jrawmu r-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni sabiex imexxu ‘il quddiem
l-kompetittività internazzjonali. Sa llum tajna 11-il miljun ewro f’finanzjament lir-riċerkaturi u innovaturi sabiex ngħinuhom jindirizzaw oqsma li joffru sfida. Aħna ninsabu ottimisti li l-investiment li qed jingħata lil dawn il-protagonisti tar-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni, mhux biss se jtejjeb it-talent lokali fil-gżejjer Maltin, iżda se jkompli jkun ta’ sostenn għal dawk li huma determinati li jsolvu l-aktar mistoqsijiet diffiċli, kemm jekk dawn huma dwar xjenza avvanzata, l-ekonomija li qed tinbidel jew dwar is-soċjeta`li dejjem qed tevolvi.”
Waqt id-diskors tal-egħluq tiegħu l-Onorevoli Owen Bonnici, Ministru għar-Riċerka, l-Innovazzjoni u l-Koordinazzjoni tal-iStrateġija wara Covid-19 qal “Nirrikonoxxi l-entità ewlenija ta’ dan il-proġett, kif ukoll l- imsieħba tagħhom u nifirħilhom għall-progress fi proġett li dalwaqt jasal għal tmiem b’suċċess. Huwa ta’ importanza kbira li nibqgħu ninvestu fir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni sabiex niġġeneraw iżjed ġid ekonomiku ta’ pajjiżna bħal ma hija ta’ importanza tremenda l-formazzjoni ta’ konsorzji bejn entitajiet pubbliċi u privati. It-trasferiment miksub fiż-żewġ direzzjonijiet fi ħdan konsorzju, huwa kruċjali għall-konkretizzazzjoni tar-riċerka biex iwasslu soluzzjonijiet għall-isfidi ffaċċjati mhux biss fix-Xjenza, iżda fit-tkabbir ekonomiku u l-impatt kompetittiv.”
This article was last updated on: December 15, 2020