Safedock Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System (A-VDGS) technology supports ramp safety and will create a more efficient gate operation at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) during regular and irregular operating conditions.
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Fla., has installed ADB SAFEGATE’s Safedock advanced visual docking guidance system (A-VDGS) on a gate in Concourse D of the terminal building. In addition, the airport, which is operated by the Lee County Port Authority, has placed an order for two additional A-VDGS as part of a year-long trial to decide whether to expand the system airport-wide.
Jeff Mulder, executive director, Lee County Port Authority, said “With a record number of passengers flying through RSW, we were looking for technology that will help our operation run more safely and efficiently during all weather conditions. We look forward to having our airline partners and passengers benefit from this investment in the Safedock system.”
The airport is challenged by the number of ramp closures it experiences during lightning events. The Safedock A-VDGS provides active visual guidance allowing pilots to self-park aircraft. The automated system provides the fastest time to the gate and significantly improves operations and recovery during lightning by safely guiding pilots and allowing passengers to deplane at the gate – even when ground staff are not allowed on the ramp. The state of Florida experiences more lightning days than any other state and RSW is the fifth Florida airport to utilize Safedock A-VDGS from ADB SAFEGATE to improve performance during lightning events.
Southwest Florida International Airport has a lengthy history with ADB SAFEGATE. For more than 20 years, the airport has relied on ADB SAFEGATE to help keep their runway operational and safe. ADB SAFEGATE has furnished the airport with airfield solutions, including runway and taxiway lighting, guidance signs, NAVAIDs and airfield power systems.
“The Lee County Port Authority has been a long-time partner of ADB SAFEGATE on the airfield,” said Joe Pokoj, CEO Americas, ADB SAFEGATE. “We are excited to expand that partnership to include the gate area to help the county provide a safer, more efficient airport experience for their airlines and their passengers.”
ADB SAFEGATE is a leading provider of solutions that boost efficiency, improve safety and environmental sustainability and reduce operational costs for airports, airlines and ANSP’s. The company works with customers to identify performance bottlenecks and jointly solve them through integrated solutions that improve airport and airline performance. These solutions address every aspect from approach to departure – airport traffic handling and guidance, airfield lighting, tower-based traffic control systems, intelligent gate and docking automation, services and advanced analytics. ADB SAFEGATE has more than 1,100 employees across 45 nationalities in 25 countries, and operates in more than 175 countries, serving more than 2,500 airports globally, from the busiest and largest like Atlanta, Beijing, Dubai, Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, New Delhi and Changi, to fast-growing airports across Asia and Africa.
![Robert Stachow, VP, Airfield Connected Solutions at ADB SAFEGATE, tells Airside International about the company’s Airfield 4.0 solution. In this information age, Airfield 4.0 is said to be the answer to navigating enormous pools of data with the use of automation to digitise the airfield and enable real-time decision making in the most efficient way possible. Published by Airside International Magazine, Spring 2023 – read the full article here. When was the concept of Airfield 4.0 introduced and how has it evolved? ADB SAFEGATE’s Airfield 4.0 concept was introduced in November 2021 at the inter airport Europe exhibition in Munich, alongside the launch of our [airfield lighting communication platform] LINC 360. Then, in May 2022, we launched our AXON EQ LED inset lights and LINC Node, other key components of the solution. ADB SAFEGATE collaborated with key customers on many aspects of the development of Airfield 4.0, and those conversations are still ongoing. In 2023, we are holding three regional innovation summits (in Europe, Asia and the Americas) with our customers at which we will present our Airfield 4.0 innovations and roadmap for the future and gather feedback to validate that we are investing in the right areas. The background to the Airfield 4.0 concept is as follows. ADB SAFEGATE has spent over a century as a frontrunner in airfield innovation and solutions, contributing to the very framework of the industry itself with the introduction of technologies that vastly improve airfield safety and efficiency. In this information age, Airfield 4.0 is the answer to navigating enormous pools of data with the use of automation to digitise the airfield and enable real-time decision making in the most efficient way possible. With Airfield 4.0, ADB SAFEGATE delivers a smarter, more interconnected airfield to customers, which enables predictive maintenance operations and end-to-end collaborative solutions. It provides powerful aviation tools like AXON EQ intelligent inset lights, the LINC 360 bidirectional power line communication system and LINC Node cloud monitoring technology to revolutionise airfield operations and enable real-time, data-driven decision making. The manipulation of data in meaningful ways, interconnectivity, smart automation and efficiency all translate to more robust operations and decreased costs. Airfield 4.0 takes advantage of powerful automation tools to spot weaknesses and point to solutions in real time. Its cloud technology allows for instant sharing of airfield ground lighting information, streamlines communication options and reduces data transport time. Plus, having a data-driven approach means an evolution in maintenance from corrective to preventive to predictive. This course to true digitalisation is what will set airports apart in the future. So, Airfield 4.0 is based primarily on your AXON EQ lights, LINC 360 and LINC Node gateway supporting infrastructure? Our AXON EQ lights, LINC 360, and the LINC Node gateway are indeed key foundational components of Airfield 4.0. An airfield has many diverse assets spread over a vast area. And, like a human neural network that uses axons to carry sensor input or commands between neurons, our new AXON EQ light fixture can gather situational data from its surroundings. The addition of built-in sensors to airfield assets, in this case, our AXON EQ inset lights, coupled with the right-sized communication medium, our LINC 360, and the ability to wirelessly stream telemetry and status monitoring to the cloud via our innovative LINC Node gateway, provide the backbone of Airfield 4.0. However, Airfield 4.0 is actually focused on the outcomes we will enable for our customers. These technologies will come together with other smart assets, advanced connectivity, third-party data sources and new cloud software tools to create solutions that improve efficiency, safety and sustainability. How will your sensor technology contribute to an automated airfield? Our sensor technology lies at the very core of giving airfield IoT [Internet of Things] and monitoring systems the ability to provide the data they need to aggregate and present for application. They are a critical piece of this process, equipping potentially any device, especially those that are remote and currently not monitored, to be IoT enabled and share situational data. And ADB SAFEGATE is building a full intelligence system. Where this comes together is in harnessing the physical assets, lights, sensors, and communication channels with LINC 360, and bringing it all together in a cloud-based software ecosystem that we are now actively building. The idea is to pull all of the data together to specifically address customer use cases and provide actionable insights. Airfield operations will begin to change exponentially as smart sensors combine their data with trend data to optimise asset management and maintenance, and potential benefits will accrue in many ways. Notably, utilising this data will facilitate understanding of correlations such as why certain device fixtures loosen more quickly, enabling the creation of predictions that facilitate more accurate maintenance schedules and thereby the saving of time, resources and manpower (and so reducing costs). Plus, smart sensors can help change the nature of airfield operations from manual, period inspections processes, to exception-based processes where optimised information is delivered to the right person at the right time to enable specific and efficient actions. For example, during an inspection, a maintenance worker might receive a notification that a fixture is out, meaning the electronics are damaged and requiring replacement. With the use of smart sensors and gateway communication, a compromised seal in a fixture can be proactively determined and maintenance personnel informed with precision, detailing the specific fixture in a specific location requiring seal replacement. The seal can be inspected and repaired before any actual electronic damage or failure can occur. The cost-saving benefits of this type of optimised maintenance can be extremely significant. ADB SAFEGATE is developing an advanced sensor suite for elevated lights where the opportunities for options are more readily available. This includes, for example, cameras, automotive radar for aircraft and vehicle detection, wildlife detection, and foreign object debris (FOD) on a runway that is an absolutely critical safety concern for operators. Read the full article here. ADB SAFEGATE provides integrated solutions that raise efficiency, improve safety, boost environmental sustainability and reduce operational costs for airports, airlines and ANSPs. The company works with airports and airlines to solve operational bottlenecks, helping them navigate today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow. Solutions encompass airfield lighting, power and control systems, smart airport and tower software solutions, docking automation and intelligent apron management, as well as aftermarket services. With more than 1,200 employees, ADB SAFEGATE serves more than 2,500 airports in more than 175 countries, from the busiest and largest like Atlanta, Beijing, Dubai, Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt, Istanbul, New Delhi and Changi to fast-growing airports across Asia and Africa.](https://blog.adbsafegate.com/wp-content/uploads/interMET-ASIA_740x300-345x190.jpg)
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