Autonomous vehicle specialist, Aurrigo, has launched Auto-Dolly, its autonomous luggage and cargo system that promises to offer a range of operational and financial savings to the aviation sector.
The new system will provide airports with the opportunity to move luggage and cargo around indoor and outdoor settings without the need for human operators, as it has the ability to navigate autonomously from one task to another, collecting and dropping off the luggage or cargo automatically using a powered roller deck and the unique ability ‘crab’ sideways when docking and parallel parking. It is also capable of operating in snow, heavy rain, direct sunlight and fog.
Trials of the Auto-Dolly have already shown that this technology can reduce the number of traditional tugs and trailors used to transport luggage and cargo by two thirds, as well as substantially cutting carbon emissions.
“The aviation sector is going through one of the worst periods in living memory. When it emerges, ti will need to explore ways where it can achieve cost savings and increase operational efficiencies, including turning around planes and getting them away on time,” said David Keene, Chief Executive of Aurrigo. He added that Auto-Dolly will revolutionise airports by improving efficiency in the way aircraft luggage and cargo is handled. In addition, it virtually eliminates all human contact from the baggage and cargo process and is able to carry a load.
“Our autonomous vehicles are controlled by our AI based cyber secure fleet management system called Auto-Connect, which intelligently assigns Auto-Dollies in the optimum way to meet the strict operational deadlines at the airport,” added Keene.
Alongside the Auto-Dolly, Aurrigo has also launched its Auto-Sim product – an airport simulator tool allowing customers to baseline current operations and then model how to migrate from manual methods through to a fully automated Auto-Dolly.
“Engagement with lead customers, together with continuing on-site airport trials, have been fantastic and we’re now in the position to launch our Auto-Dolly solution to the world,” concluded Keene. “This could equate to hundreds of millions of pounds of cost reduction every year for the airport industry, plus the huge environmental savings gained by reducing the overall emissions of the fleet of today’s inefficient tractors and trailors.”
