Project: AIRport surface traffic MANagement system based on EGNOS/GALILEO

According to Airports Council International (ACI) the annual growth rate of the global air passenger traffic is over 4% and about 5.1% for the freight traffic. As traffic grows steadily, airport safety and congestion become a mounting problem. The escalating number of accidents and incidents on surface movements is becoming one of the major airport safety concerns. _x000D__x000D_In this context, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) definition phase, as well as ICAO’s A-SMGCS guidelines have identified that a safe and efficient Airport surface traffic management will be an integral part of a well-run airport. By 2013 it is expected that airport vehicles to be equipped with guidance capabilities and that dynamic situation display will improve surface navigation for all mobiles by 2018._x000D__x000D_Airport surface navigation requires accuracy and integrity of location information for all vehicles. Positioning data are COly provided by GPS, which in many cases may become problematic due to the low accuracy provided and the reliability of the positioning information, the so-called integrity. GNSS Augmentation Systems like WAAS (in United States), MSAS (in Japan) and EGNOS (in Europe) has been a consistent attempt to overcome these GNSS problems. These systems have reached today a quite mature state and many EGNOS-based positioning applications are currently deployed around Europe, however the airport area imposes constraints that may affect the quality of navigation signal including interference from other airport systems. _x000D__x000D_The AIR-MAN project aims to research, design, develop and validate an airport surface network management system industrial prototype based on EGNOS (and GALILEO in the future), allowing for interworking with the air-traffic control systems and in particular the A-SMGCS systems. It will also enable monitoring of the signal quality for detecting in real time loss of navigation signal and interferences that could corrupt the level of service both for navigation and communication. The AIR-MAN architecture is depicted in Figure1._x000D__x000D_Nowadays the surveillance of ground traffic at airports is addressed by means of a radar based solution (Mode S multi-lateration and surface radar), which provides a surveillance service of the runway and taxiway areas, however it does not ensure safety of the aircraft ground movements. AIR-MAN will be based on the innovative results of the SAFE DRIVE project that M3SYSTEMS brings into the project, which has designed and developed a navigation system prototype for airport vehicle applications providing guidance and control to vehicle drivers and ground operators. _x000D__x000D_The AIR-MAN CO objectives are:_x000D__x000D_-To design and develop signal monitoring equipment on the ground station towards detecting in real time loss of navigation signal and interferences that could corrupt the level of service both for navigation and communication._x000D__x000D_-To study, analyse, select and implement the wireless network solution for the vehicle/ground station & ground station/A-SMGCS communication interfaces. Candidate technologies include Wi-Fi, WiMax, Mode S, issues such as QoS, security, performance will be analysed for each one of them._x000D__x000D_-To specify and implement the networking interfaces and configurations required by the distributed application components for communicating and exchanging data over the network._x000D__x000D_-To analyse the current algorithms certified for integrity monitoring in civil air navigation and to define and implement new integrity algorithms covering the particular airport surface movement application requirements (tolerable error, time of alarm, confidence level) and environmental characteristics (multi-path, interferences)._x000D__x000D_-To integrate and deliver the AIR-MAN prototype consisting of 5 vehicle navigation systems based on EGNOS and a ground station including signal monitoring equipment and interfaces for interworking with A-SMGCS._x000D__x000D_-To arrange specific trials with potential customers, including the Athens International Airport and the Bordeaux Airport, and customize the system for the target airport case._x000D__x000D_The project brings together three research performing SMEs, TELETEL from Greece with significant know how in satellite positioning & navigation architectures and interference management systems, M3 SYSTEMS from France with impressive credentials in EGNOS-based receivers and systems for the surveillance, control and management of airport vehicles and SOLINET from Germany with significant know-how in networking and communications technologies. SOLINET, M3 SYSTEMS and TELETEL possess the know-how required for achieving the project objectives. _x000D__x000D_The target market for AIR-MAN is Airports. TELETEL and M3SYSTEMS will arrange within the project course specific trials with potential customers at national and international level, including the Athens International Airport and the Bordeaux Airport, towards the commercialization of the AIR-MAN prototype.

Acronym	AIR-MAN (Reference Number: 4705)
Duration	01/06/2009 - 01/06/2011
Project Topic	AIR-MAN aims to research, develop and validate an airport surface traffic management system industrial prototype based on EGNOS (and GALILEO in the future), allowing for interworking with the air-traffic control systems (A-SMGCS) and monitoring the quality of navigation signal in real-time.
Project Results (after finalisation)	CO result of the project is a prototype of a navigation system adapted for vehicle in airport area. The prototype is composed of - - an embedded HMI in the vehicle _x000D_- an enhanced positionning module based on EGNOS signal_x000D_- a ground application for mission result analysis.
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 2

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
3	M3 SYSTEMS	Partner	France
3	SOLINET GmbH Telecommunications.	Partner	Germany
3	TELETEL Telecommunications & Information Technology SA	Coordinator	Greece