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Digital Technologies for Tower (SESAR 2020 PJ05-W2 DTT)

Europe’s aviation industry is experiencing a sharp rise in air traffic. Air navigation service providers are therefore faced with various challenges to ensure that flight control remains efficient, on time and safe. One way to address these challenges is through increased digitalisation.

The EU-funded project “Digital Technologies for Tower” (PJ05-W2 DTT) project is contributing to this in two ways. First, it proposes the development of a remote aerodrome air traffic service in which services from various aerodromes are combined in a centralised control room independent of airport location. Second, it intends to validate innovative human-machine interface modes and related technologies in different airport towers. The project aims to validate and progressively mature these solutions for the benefit of the ATM network in terms of safety, capacity, efficiency and flexibility.

The project’s solutions will provide shorter travel times and better point-to-point connections, as well as increase flight safety and controller productivity. In DTT, a large group of international partners focuses on multiple solutions for future airports.

Multiple Remote Tower and Remote Tower Centre

Solution PJ.05-W2-35 “Multiple Remote Tower and Remote Tower Centre” considers support tools to assist the RTC supervisor in the task of allocating ATCOs and aerodromes in a remote tower centre. It enables a flexible and dynamic allocation of airports connected to different remote tower modules over time.

Virtual/augmented reality applications for tower

Virtual and augmented reality (V/AR) serves to ease staff tasks and enable more seamless operations. Solution PJ.05-W2-97.1 “Virtual/augmented reality applications for tower” continues work already performed during SESAR 2020 wave 1 and aims to support tower controllers through the use of tracking labels, air gestures and attention guidance thanks to advanced human machine interface (HMI) interactions.

Improving controller productivity by ASR at the TWR CWP

Advanced technology including automatic speech recognition and artificial intelligence offer potential enhancements to the controller working position. Solution PJ.05-W2-97.2 “Improving controller productivity by ASR at the TWR CWP” is looking at control tower applications of this innovative technology using advanced HMI methods of interaction.

Detailed information on the project can be found on the project website www.remote-tower.eu.

This project has received funding from the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 874470.