The second phase of the trial of electric self-driving buses has started at Schiphol Airport.
Self-driving bus trial
During this phase, the airport, together with KLM Cityhopper and KLM Ground services, will test a fixed, pre-programmed route to and from the apron. The crew from KLM Cityhopper arriving at Schiphol can use the shuttle service. Earlier in 2024, Schiphol conducted a successful initial trial of these self-driving buses from supplier Ohmio.
During the first phase of the trial, the focus was on testing technical features and ease of use. The current phase will take place at the apron, an even more complex setting where there is always a lot of simultaneous activity – ranging from aircraft arriving and departing, to flight handling operations and airline crew transportation.
Sensors and cameras
Several times a day, the bus will fetch the KLM Cityhopper crew from Apron A, where the KLM Cityhopper aircraft is parked before departure and on arrival at Schiphol. The self-driving bus then drops off the flight crew at the terminal. The vehicle is equipped with sensors and special cameras and makes use of GPS to maneuver. The bus has a 360° view because it is equipped with lidar technology. This allows the vehicle to detect and move around objects located up to 30m away.
Jan Zekveld, head of innovation at Royal Schiphol Group, commented, “It’s great that we’ve been able to follow up on the trial with the self-driving buses so soon. We’re curious about the insights we’ll gain at this location, particularly because punctuality and safety are crucial on this route. We’re also curious how airline crew members experience self-driving transport. This will help to build trust in the technology and potentially facilitate future integration of other self-driving vehicles.
In related news, Schiphol recently demonstrated its Deep Turnaround AI image-based turnaround management software at Passenger Terminal Expo and explained how airports can follow live turnarounds. Click here to read the full story.