Zurich Airport – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – is testing self-driving vehicles on the apron, laying the groundwork for the future use of autonomous technologies. In preparation for the test phase, a ‘Robotaxi’ has been put into operation to acquire the necessary base of evidence.
The airport is investing in a pilot project involving a self-driving shuttle bus. The aim is to gain experience with the use of autonomous vehicles in the airport environment, laying the foundation for this innovative technology so that future standards can be established for all airport partners. All activities within this project will always take into consideration the strict safety requirements of airport operations.
The self-driving shuttle bus can transport up to nine people and is currently planned to be put into service in the next few months. It will supplement the existing airside shuttle service for employees of companies that operate at the airport. Starting airside at the employee entrance at gate 101 and ending at the maintenance area at gate 130, the route has several stops and does not cross any taxiways. Thanks to it being clearly separate from flight operations, this route is considered an ideal place to use autonomous vehicles for the first time and offers optimal test conditions. The regular journeys also make it easier for employees to commute within the airport grounds. In the first phase, a safety driver will be present onboard the vehicle in order to monitor the system. Depending on the findings in this phase, remotely monitored journeys will be tested in a subsequent phase. These will always be strictly monitored by a remote operations centre at the airport.
For this pilot project, Flughafen Zürich AG is working in close collaboration with Swiss Transit Lab (STL), the competence network for intelligent mobility in Switzerland. During a tender, WeRide was selected as the technology provider.
Headed by the ZRH Innovation Hub, the pilot project will ensure that important insights into the use of autonomous technologies can be gained, allowing for a comprehensive set of rules to be developed for the safe and efficient operation of self-driving vehicles. With the aim of developing similar pioneering mobility solutions, Flughafen Zürich AG is working closely with other airports – such as Brussels and Amsterdam – that are also testing technologies for autonomous vehicles. The Robobus is planned to embark on its first journeys in the first quarter of the year.
