Driver Assistance System on the taxiway
To prevent damage on the runway, Lufthansa LEOS GmbH relies on an intelligent driver assistance system for aircraft towing. Scanners and the driver assistance system APS from SICK coordinate the heaviest tugs in order to avoid damage to aircraft and vehicles as far as possible.
An intelligent driver assistance system is now indispensable on taxiways. Despite this, ground handling operations continue to cause damage amounting to several billion US dollars a year. Ground handling services are now burdened with enormous insurance premiums. It is said that the compensation paid by insurers has therefore also increased in Europe.
To support drivers of aircraft tractors in moving aircraft safely, SICK has developed the driver assistance system APS (Aircraft Protection System) in cooperation with LEOS. It relieves drivers, reduces the risk of collisions and accidents, and can thus avoid high repair and downtime costs and downtimes. In short: The use of APS enables efficient and smooth pushback, towing and yard towing operations.
The Life of an Aircraft Tug
LEOS operates a fleet of 38 tugs at its locations in Frankfurt and Munich. Each tugboat performs an average of eight to fifteen tugs or pushbacks per day. This can lead to collisions with objects or other vehicles on the tarmac or in the hangar. Vehicle tractors are therefore dependent on accurate collision warning and driver assistance.
The towbarless aircraft tractor grips the nose wheel and lifts it. The nosewheel is now in the centre of the towing vehicle with its weight and the tractor driver takes control of the aircraft. The LMS511 2D-LiDAR sensor (also 2D laser scanner) is mounted on the tractor with its orientation to the rear and monitors the entire area under the aircraft parallel to the ground.
Determination of the aircraft type
"The laser scanner detects the wheels of the aircraft's main landing gear; the driver assistance system APS then determines the aircraft type based on the landing gear geometry. The APS has a database in which the various aircraft types are stored, and uses a selection list on the display to suggest to the tractor driver all aircraft types that match the corresponding landing gear geometry. The driver selects the right aircraft and confirms the selection," explains Michael Doll, Project Engineer Lufthansa LEOS GmbH.
Invisible carpet under the aircraft
The driver assistance system APS monitors the towing corridor, shows the driver all obstacles and warns him in good time of possible collisions. The system consists of an LMS511 2D-LiDAR sensor and a touch display with integrated computer unit including application software. The integrated installation wizard makes it easy to commission and configure the APS. "The laser scanner detects virtually everything that is below, to the left and right of and behind the aircraft. The warning zones can be defined individually. The scanning area lies like an invisible carpet under the aircraft," says Thomas Killmaier, COO of Lufthansa LEOS GmbH, describing the principle.
"Anything that enters this area, in the pilot hose of the aircraft, will be highlighted in red on the display. According to a defined warning strategy, the driver is informed and sees that an object could possibly collide with the aircraft."
Major challenges
Moving airplanes poses great challenges for a tractor driver. Although aircraft can be pushed or pulled, they may obstruct the driver's view. In addition, there are weather-related impairments, because aircraft have to be moved in all weathers. "The task of the tractor drivers is complex. They have enough other tasks to do. The driver assistance system supports but does not intervene in the system. The driver sees immediately, the system works, the sensors detect any object."
Together with the tractor drivers, SICK's developers configure the optimum acoustic warning frequency so that driver and driver assistance complement each other perfectly.
In addition to airport operations, SICK sensors are also successfully used for collision avoidance in a wide variety of other applications, for example in the outdoor sector. For example, LiDAR sensors from SICK ensure collision-free operation of cranes and containers in container ports worldwide.
