Automated hazard detection for safe airport apron operations using a (weather-)robust LiDAR object recognition system

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In addition to the airport runway being a component that incurs considerable risk to air travel, in particular airfield movement areas are characterized by a substantial and empirical proven accumulation of safety occurrences in the aviation system. Due to a significant low degree of standardization for operators, technology, and procedures on the neighboring airport apron, procedural and technological measures for risk mitigation at the airport have been exclusively focusing on the maneuvering area so far. Preliminary studies conducted at TU Dresden have shown deficiencies in the operators information picture that would significantly contribute to an increased risk on the airport`s movement areas. If such a lack of information occurs, the operator`s capability to recognize the hazard and subsequently avoid damage would be clearly limited. At this point, the augmentation of the information level of quality, enabled by LiDAR sensing, is considered as key element for effective risk mitigation. The respective proof of this hypothesis will be provided along the application of established risk assessment procedures according to EUROCONTROL, a field, in which the applicant has been gathering significant experience for years. Then, after the potential for risk mitigation will have been identified on a methodological basis, the respective potential will be experimentally verified by means of LiDAR sensor technology generating 3D point clouds of all objects on the apron which will be installed at Dresden International Airport. LiDAR is judged of being exceptionally qualified to visualize hazard causes and derived hazard indicators connected to safety critical occurrences. Even more, these fundamental characteristics of LiDAR generated 3D point clouds and thus so gathered experimental results can methodically be transferred to other sensors (e.g. infrared, RADAR).As such, a methodical hazard assessment of the apron controller`s task based on accident and incident data will be conducted, subsequently followed by the identification of visual indicators as corresponding cause. Further, a LiDAR monitoring concept will be developed, including an HMI concept for a 3D point cloud visualization that will be subject to experimental validation. Along this, identified hazards will be modeled with the help of scenarios and will be further analyzed on their estimated contribution to risk mitigation while operating the HMI. In the scope of an envisaged experimental field-test at Dresden Airport, relevant scenarios will be reconstructed and assessed by operational apron controllers (granted by the airport authority). It will be evaluated how far a contribution to a higher detection probability of hazards causes and effective risk mitigation can be achieved by visual means. The respective cooperation agreement from Dresden Airport is attached to this tender.