xBridge Project Demos and Summit Sponsor Demos at PIT
The FTE Aviation & Robotics Summit’s host, Pittsburgh International Airport, is already firmly established as a leader in innovation through its progressive xBridge, which is aimed at testing and deploying new technologies to drive innovation for smarter airports. The Summit will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to witness live demonstrations from pioneering companies whose technologies have been tested at PIT and are making significant advancements in the robotics field.
Through a self-guided tour on 14 May, attendees are invited to visit the Summit sponsors – May Mobility and Pattern Labs – as well as a selection of partners working with Pittsburgh International Airport:
May Mobility (Sponsor)
May Mobility is a pioneering force in the autonomous vehicle industry, focused on transforming mobility with safer, greener, and more accessible transportation solutions. Their technology emphasizes adaptability and safety, handling unexpected driving scenarios to improve airport transit systems and enhance accessibility while introducing AVs into airport fleets and operations.
May Mobility is set to demonstrate its cutting-edge autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, emphasising its application in landside operations to enhance the travel experience. As airports evolve, May Mobility’s AV solutions seamlessly integrate to bridge transportation gaps and streamline operations, providing a robust alternative to conventional ground transport services.
In collaboration with Toyota, May Mobility presents the Sienna Autono-MaaS – an on-demand, autonomy-enabled microtransit solution that operates without the need for new infrastructure or additional costs. This fully compliant FMVSS vehicle navigates public roadways adeptly, offering flexible transportation options for both passengers and airport employees.
Moreover, May Mobility’s commitment to accessibility is evidenced by the wheelchair-accessible version of its vehicles. May Mobility collaborates closely with partners to customise and tailor the transportation service, ensuring it meets the specific needs of each airport environment.
Pattern (Sponsor)
Pattern develops an ecosystem of robotics and process automation tools for smoother, more efficient, change resilient ground operations.
Pattern will be showing its Pathfinder – robotic automation for baggage and cargo movement – driving autonomously live from an airport in Colorado. It will also have an interactive demo with a teleoperation set, where attendees can drive the robot live in Colorado from the demo in Pittsburgh. The teleoperation station has a screen with live camera feed, context from the autonomy sensors, and a steering wheel/gas pedal for control. Pathfinder improves the efficiency, quality and safety of ground operations with a step function leap.
In addition, Pattern will have a demo of its Pulse operating system, which turns airport information into action, showing simulated autonomous operations at Pittsburgh International Airport for the day. Pulse is a fleet manager for everything that moves on the tarmac. The tool integrates with all airport data sources and uses advanced simulation and Machine Learning to optimise processes.
The company will also showcase a hands-on demo with its Co-Pilot dashboard for bag tractors. Co-Pilot provides clear mission directions and turn-by-turn navigation in an aftermarket automotive dashboard.
AlgenAir
AlgenAir develops living technology to improve the health and wellness of building occupants. Their aerium living technology installation at Pittsburgh International Airport uses algal bioremediation to reduce indoor CO2 and produce oxygen. The algae grown in the system can be used for secondary applications such as fertilizer for plants, human and animal nutrition, cosmetics, bioplastics, and more.
AlgenAir
Natural air purification using live algae
AlgenAir has developed the Aerium, a natural air purification device filled with algae suspended in water that eats CO2 and expels O2.
While previous iterations of the Aerium were tabletop-size consumer products, AlgenAir installed the first scaled up, commercial-size Aerium at PIT.
Blueberry Technology
Blueberry Technology Inc. develops customer-centric autonomous personal mobility solutions, including fleet-ready vehicles designed to improve airport navigation and address last-mile transportation challenges, all in pursuit of accessible mobility for all.
Carnegie Robotics - Thoro.ai
Carnegie Robotics is one of the nation’s first robotics and autonomy technology providers; serving global leaders in agriculture, construction, mining, marine & military.
Carnegie Robotics/Thoro.AI
Autonomous floor scrubbers
Company Description: Thoro.ai, a Carnegie Robotics spinoff, is a leader in autonomous mobile robotics designed for commercial and industrial applications. They've developed the world's first safety-certified autonomy technology, which is used in a leading commercial floor cleaner; you can find several of them working in concert around the PIT airport, from baggage claim to the airside terminal.
Ecotone Renewables
Ecotone Renewables is on a mission to eliminate food waste and empower sustainable communities. Their patented intelligent hardware (ZEUS) converts food waste into liquid plant fertilizer (Soil Sauce) and renewable energy.
Ecotone Renewables
Anaerobic digester that turns food waste into fertilizer
Ecotone Renewables is a green tech company that has developed an anaerobic digester inside a shipping container that converts food waste into both methane gas, which is used to help power the system, and liquid fertilizer, which is sold to farms and individuals.
Ecotone installed a ZEUS digester system outside of Baggage Claim Door 8. Dunkin' Donuts inputs up to 400 pounds of food waste each week, which the system processes into a liquid fertilizer, and is then collected and sold as "Soil Sauce."
Emu Analytics
Emu Analytics is a London-based SME delivering Digital Twin software for airports, airlines, and airspace regulators. Their software seamlessly consolidates vast amounts of location-based and operational data, enabling real-time and historical analysis of aircraft movements, airside processes and operational performance on the apron and in the air – empowering aerospace organisations to unlock critical insights that drive the optimisation of turnaround and on-time performance, enhance airspace planning, and elevate operational efficiency, sustainability, and safety.
Guideline
Guideline is a text messaging solution that enhances the travel experience by providing instant access to airport and airline information without the need for a dedicated mobile application. With a focus on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, Guideline simplifies travel logistics and fosters seamless communication between travelers, airports, and airlines.
Mapless AI
Mapless AI moves vehicles without moving people: adding remote driving capabilities to electric vehicles for efficient, on-demand, and direct-to-destination vehicle delivery with a driver who never has to leave the office.
Mapless AI
Tele-operated vehicles
Company: With founders that are experts in autonomous vehicle safety engineering, Mapless AI has developed technology that converts regular vehicles into remote-controlled cars in 15 minutes, with no impact to the vehicle. Their technology and service could have an immense effect on several fleet and mobility industries.
Employees hailed Mapless cars with an app for rides back and forth between the Long-Term parking lot and the terminal. Mapless is still testing their vehicles on the lots and roadways at PIT, including while shuttling passengers from downtown to the airport.
Oceaneering
Oceaneering is a global technology company operating in environments ranging from sea to space. For airports, we provide self-guided, driverless transit vehicle systems. These systems are suitable for passenger, employee transportation, for landside, and airside applications.
Oceaneering- REVO-GTTM System
Automated guided vehicle for transit applications
Company: Oceaneering provides large, engineered services and products primarily to the offshore energy industry. Today, they also use applied technology expertise to serve the defense, entertainment, aerospace, etc. industries. As part of their portfolio, they produce and sell automated shuttle busses, primarily for entertainment industry clients, but also in airport applications.
How it works: Oceaneering’s 3rd Generation/REVO-GT vehicle was designed specifically for the demands of airport applications. It is an autonomous, fully bi-directional shuttle/minibus, that follows a mapped pathway consisting of small magnets installed into the ground. Once these are positioned and surveyed, the coordinates are mapped to the vehicles autonomous navigation software and supervisory control system, which provides safe and repeatable driving performance.
Sensify
Sensify enables commercial facilities to measure and attain their recycling goals through low-cost sensing. Simply deploy their 'higi' devices at high-traffic waste stations to help patrons distinguish recyclables from landfill while effortlessly generating key metrics for sustainability reporting.
SkySafe
SkySafe is a global leader in Drone Detection, Tracking, and Identification (DTI) as a Service (DDaaS). SkySafe’s cloud-based technology is vetted and approved for ensuring airspace safety and security and world-class drone forensics capabilities, and has been tested and validated by the FAA.
SpotLESS Materials
spotLESS Materials is introducing a new concept in cleanliness: a slippery surface treatment designed to keep surfaces clean and make them easier to clean, saving time and reducing waste. spotLESS successfully transformed this university technology into a consumer product in 2019, and is now partnering with industrial partners to bring their products to the professional world.
Synaptic Aviation
Synaptic Aviation uses cameras with AI capabilities at a gate to track and log activities around an aircraft, triggering real-time alerts for teams to react to and course-correct, improving safety and efficiency in the turnaround process. Synaptic's testing at PIT is done in partnership with IAG; they have also partnered with Emu Analytics for geospatial analysis.
Synaptic Aviation
Improving the turnaround process with AI
Company: Synaptic Aviation uses cameras with AI capabilities at a gate to track and log activities around the aircraft, triggering real-time alerts for teams to react to and course-correct, improving safety and efficiency in the turnaround process.
ACAA will partner with Synaptic to use its technology, collect data, and share with airlines.
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