Press session for zeppelin operations
Two days before start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup football championship, hosted this year by Germany, DLR traffic engineers are fully prepared for 'Project Soccer'. The project involves a Stuttgart-based police helicopter as well as a commercial light aircraft from Berlin, which have been equipped with specially adapted cameras and computers to gather data to assist in traffic management. Further, on 10 June 2006, the airship 'Zeppelin NT' is expected to arrive in Bonn-Hangelar, where it will serve as a platform for DLR traffic monitoring technology during the game in Cologne.
On 11 June 2006, the airship will take off to provide -- as was done during World Youth Day -- detailed traffic data during the Angola-Portugal match. These data will be processed in realtime onboard the zeppelin using specially developed software to provide an overall picture of the traffic situation and aide traffic management.
Camera system and processing unit before installation onboard the Cesna
Since its deployment last summer, DLR's ANTAR (Airborne Traffic Analyser) system has been further developed and adapted for specifically investigating issues related to traffic guidance. The aim is to promptly recognise potential or actual bottlenecks, thus enabling countermeasures to be taken.
The system's capability to gather a wide range of traffic data, analyse and project outcomes and make 30-minute advance forecasts enable the police and the city traffic management centre to act in advance of problems, instead of merely reacting after they occur, thus implementing measures to proactively manage traffic.
Outside of the match days in Cologne (11, 17, 20, 23 and 26 June) the Zeppelin NT operator, Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH, will offer flights to the general public. More information at: www.fussball-WM-Zeppelin.de, telefone: 02446/8050058.