UK-based developer of SAE Level 4 automated drive systems, Fusion Processing, has been awarded funding through the government-backed CAM Pathfinder program to investigate how autonomous vehicle technology proven on public roads can be adapted to transform airside staff transportation at UK airports.
The company is leading the CAM Pathfinder Airside Staff Transport Concept Feasibility Study, which will evaluate the operational, economic and safety case for deploying fully autonomous, no-user-in-charge (NUIC) vehicles within the airside environments of UK airports.
A number of international UK airports will be studied as part of the program, with a further invitation open to additional airports wishing to participate and shape the direction of the study.
Fusion Processing’s involvement
The company’s CAVstar SAE Level 4 automated drive system is currently deployed on the Connector project in Cambridge, where it has accumulated substantial learning on urban routing, fleet management, passenger safety and remote oversight in a structured transportation environment.
Jim Hutchinson, CEO of Fusion Processing, said, “Airports represent a substantial and largely untapped new market for autonomous vehicle technology. We understand how to design, operate and optimize an AV fleet in a structured, safety-critical environment, and we are now applying that knowledge directly to the airport context.”
Hutchinson continued, “Airports today operate a mixed fleet of vehicles that were never designed to work together as a system. Our vision is to replace that with a single, integrated service run from one control center, scaled to the specific needs of each airport. We are actively inviting UK airports to engage with this study and help shape what that future looks like.”
The feasibility study will adapt Fusion Processing’s insights to the specific constraints of the airside environment, including regulatory compliance and engagement with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on the framework for autonomous vehicle operations within airport boundaries.
Initial research for the study
Initial research carried out by Fusion Processing has found that airports typically rely on a mixed and fragmented fleet of vehicles to move staff around the airside environment. Each vehicle category operates independently, often with its own dispatcher, scheduling system and driver pool, creating significant operational complexity and cost.
The feasibility study will take that mixed-fleet reality as its starting point, building detailed economic models for exactly this type of varied vehicle requirement. Rather than proposing a one-size-fits-all solution, the study will assess how a fleet comprising vehicles of different sizes and capacities can be brought together under a single operational model.
One control center
Central to Fusion Processing’s vision is a single remote 0perations control centre (ROCC) from which operators can oversee the entire airside vehicle fleet. The ROCC would provide fleet optimization to maximize vehicle availability, a dial-a-ride style booking and despatch service for airside staff movements, and automated charging cycle management to keep vehicles available on demand.
Remote drive stations within the ROCC would allow operators to monitor up to four vehicles simultaneously and, where required, assume full manual remote control.
The proposed mixed fleet for the study spans three vehicle types: a four-seat vehicle for compact, agile transfers; a 12-seat minibus from a global OEM for mid-capacity movements; and a 25-seat bus for high-volume staff transportation. Vehicle leasing and financing options are also being included in the study.
The case for change
Reducing the need for drivers, improving energy efficiency and lowering tire and brake wear could cut operating costs by up to 40% compared with manually driven vehicles. Higher utilization and reduced downtime may also allow for a smaller fleet.
From a safety perspective, autonomy removes a major risk factor, as human error accounts for around 90% of road traffic accidents. Eliminating this in a controlled airside environment could significantly improve safety for airport operators and staff.
Mark Cracknell, program director at Zenzic, commented, “These feasibility studies will help to articulate the impact that market-ready CAM technologies can have on both business productivity and economic growth.”
Claire Spooner, director of innovation service at Innovate UK, added, “These projects, around the UK, will develop new solutions for a range of CAM applications and scenarios and they will enable the companies behind these innovations to scale and grow.”
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