Remote controlling an entire airport

Summary

London City Airport is pioneering a digital air traffic control tower, set to launch in 2020. This innovative system replaces the traditional tower with a camera-equipped mast, with controllers operating remotely 80 miles away. The digital tower offers enhanced visibility and safety features, such as augmented reality overlays and pan-tilt-zoom cameras, surpassing human eye capabilities. Despite initial reservations about relying on technology, the robust design and redundancy systems ensure reliability and safety, potentially making it superior to conventional methods.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ London City Airport is constructing a new, unmanned control tower to replace the existing 30-year-old one, facilitating airport expansion.
• 📍 The new control tower will be remotely operated from an ops room 80 miles away, reducing the physical footprint at the airport.
• 💻 The digital tower is expected to be more cost-effective and easier to construct, eliminating the need for human amenities like restrooms and kitchens.
• 🔎 Controllers will use high-definition cameras and augmented reality to monitor aircraft, providing a better view than the human eye and eliminating blind spots.
• 🌐 The control room is currently used for training, with the actual camera mast still under construction.
• 🛠️ The system includes fail-safes for screen and camera failures, with backup systems and indicators to ensure continuous operation.
• 🌧️ The tower is designed to handle various weather conditions, including rain and fog, with features like compressed air for rain removal and heaters to prevent misting.
• 🔐 Data transmission is secured through separate data feeds, avoiding public internet and ensuring robustness and security.
• 🤖 Despite initial reservations about the absence of human controllers, the evidence suggests that the digital tower could be safer and more efficient than traditional methods.
• 🛫 The speaker concludes with a personal note of trust in the new system, anticipating a smooth operation when it goes live in 2020.

Q & A

What is the purpose of building a new control tower at London City Airport?

The purpose of building a new control tower at London City Airport is to replace the 30-year-old one and make room for expansion.

How is the new control tower at London City Airport different from traditional ones?

The new control tower at London City Airport is unmanned, functioning as a tall mast with cameras, and the air traffic controllers will be located 80 miles away.

Why is the digital tower at London City Airport considered more space-efficient?

The digital tower is more space-efficient because it does not require the physical space for amenities like restrooms, kitchens, and toilets that a traditional tower would need for staff.

What are the benefits of using digital towers over traditional towers?

Digital towers can be cheaper to build, easier to construct, and offer enhanced visibility and functionality through the use of cameras and digital augmentation.

How does the digital tower system at London City Airport enhance the controllers' view of the aircraft?

The digital tower system uses pan-tilt-zoom cameras and augmented reality overlays on screens to provide controllers with a 360 panorama view, which is compressed into 225 degrees, offering better visibility than the human eye.

What is the 'stay-alive indicator' mentioned in the script, and what is its purpose?

The 'stay-alive indicator' is a feature on top of each screen that ensures controllers are viewing live footage of the airport, not a frozen image, even during quiet times with no traffic.

What measures are in place to handle potential failures in the digital control tower system?

The system is designed to handle failures by transmitting failed images to spare screens, replicating views with pan-tilt-zoom cameras, and having separate voice communications unaffected by camera failures.

How does the digital control tower handle adverse weather conditions like rain or fog?

The digital control tower is equipped with compressed air to blow away rain, bird protection, heaters to prevent mist or frost, and backup routes to manage transitions as if it was foggy.

What is the security and data transmission strategy for the digital control tower?

The data feeds for the digital control tower come from separate masts, going east and west, and do not use public internet or cloud services. They are transmitted through robust and secure means, ensuring reliability.

How does the narrator feel about the safety of the digital control tower after visiting the new control center?

After visiting the new control center, the narrator is convinced that the digital control tower works and is safe, potentially even safer than the old tower due to augmented reality overlays and extra height.

What is the narrator's final sentiment regarding the digital control tower despite its proven safety?

Although the narrator acknowledges the safety and functionality of the digital control tower, they admit to still feeling that something is 'a bit wrong', highlighting the emotional aspect of accepting new technologies in critical fields like air traffic control.