Aston University has partnered with Aurrigo, a provider of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and related software for international airport operations, to develop fleet AI.
Under the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), Aston University’s research team will develop new algorithms that allow individual vehicles to make smart, safe decisions locally.
As part of the KTP, the team will use its expertise in advanced AI and related techniques, including machine learning, to tackle dynamically assigning tasks based on a vehicle’s location, workload and battery level.
It will also seek to enable vehicles from different ground handlers to communicate and work together and plan movements in real-time to adapt to unexpected changes such as flight delays or gate changes.
This could enable effective scaling of vehicle task management as airports expand their fleets of autonomous baggage handling vehicles.
The algorithms developed for this purpose will be based on their real-time status and surroundings, and their place in the wider network of AVs.
Traditionally, task allocation and scheduling have relied on centrally controlled systems overseen by human operators.
They must interpret large volumes of real-time information (for example, battery level and location) and respond to frequent changes such as flight delays or gate reassignments.
While effective at smaller scales, this approach can create decision bottlenecks and limit the ability of fleets to adapt quickly as operations expand, the partnership stated.
Aurrigo chief technology officer, Simon Brewerton, said: “Our latest partnership with Aston University builds on the excellent outcomes obtained in previous KTP projects.
“The academic team brings exceptional technical expertise and a deep understanding of how to apply research to complex operational challenges.”
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