With predictions that air passenger numbers will double to 8.2 billion by 2037, airlines and airports know there’s work to do to ensure their operations remain efficient.
Many are constrained by their physical size so, instead, are turning to technology to automate and streamline processes.
London's Heathrow Airport is no exception, and the company is working on a number of concepts employing new technologies and putting data to better use.
During last week’s SITA Euro Summit in Lisbon, Heathrow’s chief technology officer Russell Willans shared some of the concepts the facility is considering, such as a trial with scanning technology LIDAR and how it could be used for digital twin mapping (technology that acts as a digital twin of what’s happening in the airport and aggregates as much operational data as possible and presents it as a graphical overlay).
Willans says that while the technology is very accurate, at £250,000 per camera it’s not yet cost-efficient.
Read Original Article
