In a recent collaboration with Eagle Aerospace, Honda showcased the cutting-edge capabilities of its Autonomous Works Vehicle (AWV) at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
Jason VanBuren, Systems Engineering Manager for American Honda Motor Company on the AWV's purpose, emphasized its role in airfield operations—hauling, attaching, and towing various items. The showcased gen two model demonstrated potential use cases ranging from transporting aircraft parts to perimeter fence inspections. Notably, the vehicle's applications extend to towing equipment, inspecting runways, and even collecting foreign object debris (FOD). With a focus on mitigating labor shortages and enhancing operational efficiency, the AWV aims to provide a reliable solution for airfield challenges.
“We're looking at airfield operations capable of hauling, attaching and towing different products, he said. “The AWV has potential use cases can include transporting aircraft parts or equipment, you could put on the inspection equipment and that could be used for any inspection down the road.”
Todd Browne, Associate Director of Airfield Operations for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), shared his perspective on this innovative initiative. "The GTAA is highly motivated to finding innovative and creative solutions to age-old problems – we need to join the technology revolution on our Airfield," he said, highlighting the GTAA's commitment to embracing technological advancements.
The showcased gen two model demonstrated potential use cases ranging from transporting aircraft parts to perimeter fence inspections. Browne elaborated on the demonstration's success, noting, "The AI camera and machine learning data proved to be highly successful, and is something the GTAA is going to review further."
He also acknowledged the challenges, particularly the need for the Autonomous carrier to fit into a dynamic airfield environment.
Collaboration and Showcase at Toronto Pearson: A Strategic First Step
The decision to initiate the AWV's showcase with perimeter checks at YYZ was revealed to be a collaborative effort with Eagle Aerospace Cisco, Luminex AI, and Genwave Technologies . While the demonstration focused on perimeter inspections, it marked the initial step in Honda's long-term plan for the AWV. The collaboration with Eagle Aerospace allowed Honda to delve into various applications and set the stage for future developments.
“With labor shortages plaguing airfield operations, the AWV steps in as a complement to the traditional workforce,” VanBuren said. “Safety is the forefront of its design, ensuring secure operations alongside other vehicles, people, and potential obstacles. The AWV addresses the challenges of finding reliable labor by providing an autonomous solution that not only gets the job done but also upholds the high safety standards crucial for airfield environments.”
VanBuren outlined the key collaborators involved in the Toronto demonstration with Luminex AI contributing the vision system while Cisco and Genwave Technologies handled the connection aspects, and Eagle Aerospace, serving as the coordinator, provided expertise in software and hardware solutions tailored for airfield operations.
The AWV's operational capabilities include a fully electric, off-road design. Whether operated remotely or autonomously, the vehicle's capabilities include map creation, precise navigation using GNSS and RTK, and the ability to perform various tasks along predefined paths. The prototype user interface offers control and route development functionalities.
“The AWV's safety features were explored, with a comprehensive suite of sensors ensuring obstacle detection and safe navigation,” VanBuren said. “While specific details about the sensors remain proprietary, their deployment is designed to create a robust autonomous system, aligning with Honda's commitment to safety.”
Browne praised the collaborative approach, stating, "Stacking experts like on this project has amazing results. The GTAA is not a technology company – we operate an airport. To get new and emerging technologies prepared for use on an airfield, we need to go to the experts."
The AWV aims to provide a reliable solution for airfield challenges, particularly in mitigating labor shortages and enhancing operational efficiency. Browne sees the integration of vehicles like the Honda AWV into airfield operations as a potential game-changer, particularly for tasks in hard-to-reach areas or those requiring precision, like grass cutting while avoiding obstacles.
Brian Freed, Chief Operating officer for Eagle Aerospace, which is an arm of Team Eagle, highlighted the genesis of the initiative aiming to harness innovation effectively.
“Innovation poses a challenge: for something requiring autonomous operation or AI, how do you transmit data? How do you control it? The effective proof of concept needed technology from multiple partners,” Freed said. “We put together a consortium: Honda, Team Eagle, Luminex, Cisco, Genwave, and the Toronto airport. We provided air OPS software, coordinating and integrating new technology with existing operational processes,"
While the Honda AWV showcased autonomous capabilities driving around the airport perimeter, Eagle Aerospace's AIROps software added a layer of intelligence to this innovation. It offered an autonomous inspection solution, logging and transmitting identified issues for review and reaction by airfield operations staff, effectively enhancing the overall effectiveness of the autonomous system.
The success of this project was rooted in a six-month collaboration between Eagle Aerospace, Cisco, Genwave, and Illuminex. Daily stand-up calls and frequent sprint reviews ensured alignment, creating a framework that seamlessly integrated interdependent pieces of technology. The result was a holistic solution that addressed the complexities of autonomous airfield operations.
This initiative marked a historic first in autonomous airfield operations. Freed emphasized that this test, focused on perimeter activities due to potential risks on runways or active apron areas, served as a proving ground for future autonomous operations.
"Yes, it's the first time,” he said. “There are no official regulations for autonomous operations on an airfield.”
Connecting the Airfield
Airfield connectivity has always been challenging. It’s a large open area without many suitable places to install the required infrastructure, and it’s subject to strict regulations to avoid unwanted interference with existing airfield and aircraft systems. In addition, there are many diverse needs for connectivity, from small IoT sensors that generate very small amounts of data, to large vehicles equipped with multiple video cameras generating lots of data.
Discussing the connectivity challenges on the airfield, Browne underscored the importance of partnerships and collaboration in advancing technology solutions for airfield operations. "It will be the main way we create and advance the needed technologies," he said.
It's important to take a one-size-fits-none approach to establishing the network for the airfield but be open to working with best of breed solutions,” said Maciej Podoski, Industry Lead, Transportation, Cisco Canada. “This is the approach we took for this project to tailor-make the best possible solution.”
Cisco provided the network technology backbone through its deployment partner, Genwave Technologies. Podoski said the Cisco Canada Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program has been involved from the outset of the project. With the investment from CDA the team was able to bring forward the technology and services of subject matter experts.
The Cisco Ultra Reliable Wireless Backhaul (Cisco URWB) solution is part of Cisco's Industrial IoT portfolio which is designed for harsh outdoor environments like the airfield. It's a technology that combines the reliability and speed of fiber connectivity with the flexibility of wireless communications, all with security at the core.
Like 5G uR-LLC, it features seamless roaming and ultra-low latency to enable the most demanding mission critical and real-time applications.
Podoski said URWB provides a private network with encryption.
“We strive to always remain one step ahead of the threats so it's important to have a holistic approach to security, starting with Zero Trust, endpoint protection, network security, visibility, threat detection, remediation and more,” he said. “In the Proof-of-Concept phase of this project we were working closely with our partners on implementing best practices with an eye to specific needs of the airfield to keep the solution secure for the future.”
Cisco URWB provides reliable connectivity at high speeds and that allowed development on this project to proceed without the bandwidth constraints typically associated with other forms of airfield connectivity. It operates on free spectrum, deploys like Wi-Fi, and provides network administrators with full control of what connects to it.
“For this pilot, it was about understanding the needs of the GTAA Airfield Operations team, in the short term and long term, the technologies that will enable its transformation and how they would be used,” Podoski said. “The network underpins everything, especially as more devices are connected and more data is generated. Companies need a strong, agile, reliable and secure network to make the most of the transformative technologies they deploy. We wanted to understand all these factors and make sure we were designing networking solutions with that in mind.”
Future Prospects: Evolving AWV Applications
Browne envisions a significant role for autonomous vehicles in airfield operations.
"Airfield Inspection is the next step forward and would be a great gain of effectiveness," he noted, reflecting on the potential applications and benefits of vehicles like the Honda AWV in enhancing efficiency and safety.
Looking ahead, VanBuren expressed Honda's commitment to further developing the AWV in collaboration with Eagle Aerospace. While the specific roadmap is yet to be defined, the goal is to explore additional use cases and refine the AWV based on real-world applications. The openness to testing diverse applications across different airports reflects Honda's dedication to advancing autonomous solutions for airfield operations.
As the AWV takes its first steps into airfield operations, the collaboration between Honda and Eagle Aerospace promises to revolutionize the way tasks are handled on airfields. From addressing labor shortages to enhancing safety and efficiency, the AWV emerges as a beacon of innovation in the evolving landscape of autonomous solutions for aviation. As technology continues to evolve, the AWV's role in airfield operations is poised to expand, making it a pivotal player in the future of airport management.
The experience of being part of this groundbreaking project significantly influenced the future of Eagle Aerospace's software. Brian Freed explained that the architectural design of AIROps is being reimagined to create a platform accommodating future autonomous inspection tools. Utilizing an API model for more data sources, Eagle Aerospace is positioning itself at the forefront of adapting to the evolving landscape of autonomous technology in airfield operations.
Post the field test, Eagle Aerospace identified key findings and outcomes, proving the potential for various autonomous vehicle use cases. Freed expressed the company's commitment to ongoing collaboration for continuous improvement, addressing anomalies and providing necessary training for evolving skill sets within airport personnel. As the aviation industry paves the way for a future with autonomous airfield operations, Eagle Aerospace stands at the forefront, ready to shape the evolution of this transformative technology.
"It proved the potential for many autonomous vehicle use cases, like perimeter inspection and autonomous work mowers. It highlighted the lack of regulatory frameworks, emphasized the need for airfield connectivity, and showed positive feedback from the airport industry," states Freed.
Podoski said the solution used in the project can scale by adding radios to the system to provide coverage where it's needed, which we’ll assess case-by-case at each airfield. The solution already has lots of bandwidth available on a per radio basis so the network can accommodate multiple different applications and use cases simultaneously.
“Cisco sees a tremendous opportunity for airports to innovate on top of the platform developed through this CDA investment,” he said. “This technology is also transferable to other industries. Energy, mining, defence, transportation and logistics, ports and terminals, public sector and many others are likely to benefit from its capabilities to transform their businesses.”
