Remote Tower Prototype System and Automation Perspectives

Abstract

In this chapter, we describe the development of the videopanorama-based Remote Tower prototype system as the main goal of the second DLR-RTO project (RAiCe, Remote Airport traffic Control Center). One focus was on the implementation of an advanced RTO environment at a second airport (besides a comparable system at the Research airport Braunschweig). It was used for the worldwide first RTO-validation experiments with controlled flight scenarios for directly comparing RTO versus tower conditions using a DLR test aircraft (see separate chapters “Which Metrics Provide the Insight Needed? A Selection of Remote Tower Evaluation Metrics to Support a Remote Tower Operation Concept Validation,” “Model Based Analysis of Two-Alternative Decision Errors in a Videopanorama-Based Remote Tower Work Position”). The advanced RTO system served for analyzing the performance of the near prototype level of hard and software solutions and for preparing and executing passive shadow mode field test with participation of domain experts for providing more realistic operational conditions. We describe the design and setup of this RTO system which was realized in cooperation with the German air navigation service provider DFS. A detailed work analysis with DFS domain experts during workshops and RTO simulations provided a breakdown of the specific requirement specifications. The analysis showed that it would be impossible to consider all of these requirements in an RTO design within a reasonable cost frame. This concerned the selection of type, numbers, and focal width of cameras, their visual resolution, contrast, dynamic range and field of view, zoom functions and the corresponding number, and type of displays or projection systems for the reconstructed panoramic view. The vertical FOV turned out as a crucial factor for the visual surveillance up to an altitude of 1000 ft. above the runway in the panoramic view as one of the basic design conditions. We describe hard- and software aspects of the system design, its setup, initial tests, and verification as precondition for the RTO-validation experiments. Furthermore, we include some details and results addressing the automation potential using image processing. The requirement for automation of functions such as pan–tilt–zoom camera–based object tracking, e.g. via movement detection was derived from the results of validation experiments described in chapters “Which Metrics Provide the Insight Needed? A Selection of Remote Tower Evaluation Metrics to Support a Remote Tower Operation Concept Validation,” “Model Based Analysis of Two-Alternative Decision Errors in a Videopanorama-Based Remote Tower Work Position,” and “The Advanced Remote Tower System and Its Validation.” Results of functional tests and performance verification complement the initial flight test results of chapter “Remote Tower Experimental System with Augmented Vision Videopanorama”.