Remote Tower Prototype System and Automation Perspectives

In this chapter we describe the development of the video panorama 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” and “Model Based Analysis of Two-Alternative Decision Errors in a Videopanorama-Based Remote Tower Work Position”). The advanced RTO system served for analysing 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 will 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. E.g., the vertical FOV turned out as a crucial factor, the visual surveillance up to an altitude of 1000 ft. above the runway in the panoramic view as one of the basic design condition. In the present chapter we will 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 an outlook on the automation potential using image processing. The requirement for automation of functions such as pan-tilt zoom camera based object tracking via movement detection was derived from the results of validation experiments described in chapters “Model Based Analysis of Two-Alternative Decision Errors in a Videopanorama-Based Remote Tower Work Position”, “Multiple Remote Tower Simulation Environment”, and “Assessing Operational Validity of Remote Tower Control in High-Fidelity Simulation”.