Internet of Things and Aviation

ROBIOTIC: Internet of Things and Aviation

 

The digital transformation has long been taking place in the aviation industry. The potential in this industry is huge: comfort, security, service, production, maintenance, sustainability - in all these areas, innovative IoT solutions, combined with cloud computing, big data, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), can contribute to a significant improvement. Digital transformation makes flying more efficient, safer and more comfortable. Aircraft production is also becoming more cost-effective and flexible.

 

 

Digitalization & aviation: more comfort, more service

Optimized security checks with facial recognition

One of the biggest challenges in everyday airport life for everyone involved: security checks. Biometrics-based IoT solutions help to make the process more efficient and secure: Checkpoints use facial recognition software, which significantly reduces the time between check-in and boarding at the gate. Passengers sign in at check-in with their passports, boarding passes and photos. When boarding, they then simply look into the camera, are easily identified and are quickly ready for take-off. Queues throughout the airport terminal are also shorter thanks to the use of automated sensor technology. 

 

Fast airport navigation with digital beacons

Digital beacons - small sensors - can be strategically placed in the airport terminal. They relay real-time information to passengers via SMS messages. These updates provide information about available parking spaces, arrival and departure times of airport shuttles and more. A considerable plus in service. Passenger flow management also benefits from this technology: if a beacon detects increased passenger traffic at a checkpoint, it forwards this information directly. Passengers can then be redirected to a less busy checkpoint. Truly "smart" airports now seamlessly guide passengers from check-in to departure via beacon-linked maps. 

 

Secure baggage management with beacons & RFID tags

IoT beacons and RFID tags are the optimal solution to securely locate passengers' luggage and manage its transport. Combined in this way, they provide live information about the exact location of a piece of luggage - from baggage drop-off to the cargo hold. Passengers receive real-time SMS notifications about the current location of their luggage. Ground staff, in turn, receive the important information about which pieces of luggage belong to which flight - reloading luggage becomes much less complicated and error-prone this way. Don't forget: Every year, tens of millions of checked bags and suitcases are lost worldwide. Beacon and RFID-based IoT solutions can drastically reduce this number.

 

Digitalization & aviation: more security, optimized maintenance

Cybersecurity in the air and on the ground

Security through digitalization: for the aviation industry, this does not only mean innovative solutions such as more powerful anti-collision systems. The topic of cybersecurity also plays a decisive role with regard to digital networking. Airports are now more globally connected than ever before: they use clouds, they rely on integrated systems and generally on IoT solutions to improve their efficiency. Such a development naturally offers diverse attack surfaces for phishing attacks, security incidents, identity theft, malware and more. Cyber security in aviation must therefore be ensured at all times: personal passenger data, back-office systems, security checks and systems, arrival and departure data - the entire regulated airport process relies on always being as protected as possible from external hacker attacks. A proactive risk analysis for each area is therefore the ideal key to identifying vulnerabilities and developing a holistic IT security concept: Computer security, penetration tests, vulnerability analysis tools, risk management programmes, appropriate source code methods, network security solutions - all this is part of it, including continuous training of employees.

 

Smart production & maintenance

The production and maintenance of aircraft is becoming smart: this is ensured by digital applications such as the use of sensor technology, 3D printing processes or augmented reality. Based on the survey results, a BITKOM survey (industry association of the German information and telecommunications sector) predicts that production processes in aviation will be largely self-organised and automated by the year 2030 thanks to digital technologies - as will the predictive maintenance of aircraft or aircraft parts. A failure of important components and the associated risk of an accident will thus become increasingly unlikely - a considerable increase in safety for all passengers.

 

Digitalization & Aviation: More Sustainability

The aviation industry suffers from a rather bad reputation within the current climate discussion. However, with IoT-based digitalisation solutions, it can significantly improve its ecological footprint in the future: A wide variety of approaches for remote management of facilities and processes ensure that delays and queues of flights are avoided and traffic flows are optimised overall. According to a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), this is a worthwhile commitment that pays off not only in terms of higher customer satisfaction and saved costs: every minute of flight saved reduces CO2 emissions by 250 kg to 2,000 kg. Just for comparison: a complete year of driving a standard mid-size car also causes emissions of 2,000 kg of CO2.

Another positive side effect: the airline staff is relieved and can concentrate on more complex tasks that are not so easy to digitise. This increases employee motivation and at the same time identification with the company - which in turn has a clear positive impact on the company's reputation.

 

 


veröffentlicht am : 2021-11-04 17:00


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