Last month, Air , Charlatte Autonom and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport put an autonomous tractor into service to transport luggage between the baggage sorting and separation area and the aircraft.
Testing this baggage tractor under real conditions brings us one step closer to creating the smart airport of the future.
The autonomous electric baggage tractor has been in operation at Toulouse-Blagnac airport since November 15th, and has been able to navigate the environment autonomously thanks to specific permits. This deployment of intelligent and autonomous vehicles seeks to improve baggage flow performance and ramp safety at airport hubs.
By automating traffic flows, operators can focus on decision-making and management actions, which saves time and efficiency when handling aircraft.
The test of this AT135 baggage tractor developed by the Charlatte Manutention and Navya subsidiary, Charlatte Autonom, is the result of a close collaboration between several recognized names in air transport, who have worked together to design the airports of the future.
To carry out its tasks and integrate traffic on the ramp, the vehicle is equipped with intelligent sensors that allow it to recognize its environment, position itself with great precision, detect obstacles at 360° and make decisions. Thanks to its sensors (“Lidar”, camera, GPS, odometer) and its driving software, the vehicle can drive around the airport autonomously. AUTONOM TRACT also communicates with traffic signals from the hub.
When the engers' luggage reaches the sorting area, the autonomous baggage tractor intervenes as follows:
– A Groupe 3S agent, subcontracted by Air , places the luggage in containers connected to the autonomous tractor.
– The baggage tractor is an intelligent vehicle that autonomously moves through the airport to catch up with the Air aircraft. Your destination is pre-programmed via a touchscreen by a Groupe 3S agent.
– When approaching the aircraft, the tractor stops and the agent takes control of the vehicle and subsequently loads the luggage into the hold of the aircraft.
– The vehicle returns to the baggage sorting area, following the same route in the reverse direction.
Vincent Euzeby, Head of IT and Technological Innovation at Air : “By facilitating the use of an autonomous baggage tractor and seamlessly integrating it into its operational processes, Air 's ambition is to further optimize its operational performance and improve its customers' travel experience. This trial is the first step towards a more widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles at our airports.”
“We are very proud of this worldwide operation, highlighting in real conditions the added value of our AT135 autonomous tractor, combining the experience of Charlatte Manutention and NAVYA. Deploying autonomous vehicles on a larger scale should contribute to facilitating increasingly dense logistical flows”, added Bastien Devaux, CEO of Charlatte Autonom
“This test is a concrete step towards deg the Smart Airport, which is more innovative, connected and more efficient for our customers. It was only natural that this should have happened for the first time at the airport of Toulouse, the pioneer city of aviation”, added Philippe Crébassa, President of the Executive Board of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.
