About 15 days each year, air traffic controllers working inside London Heathrow’s 286-foot control tower experience essentially IFR conditions when low clouds surround the tower cab, often while ground visibility is just fine. ATC delays occur during these conditions because controllers cannot verify whether arrivals and departures have cleared the runway. The U.K.’s ATC provider, NATS, says those delays can reduce airport capacity by as much as 20 percent. Enter new technology capable of blending Heathrow’s 4K digital equipment with ADS-B and radar systems thanks to data from 20 ultra HD cameras located just beneath the tower cab.
London’s Heathrow Tower Begins Testing Augmented Reality for ATC
Key Takeaways:
- London Heathrow faces significant air traffic control delays and capacity reduction (up to 20%) roughly 15 days annually when low clouds obscure the control tower's view.
- The UK's ATC provider, NATS, is trialing new augmented reality (AR) technology that blends 4K digital equipment, ADS-B, radar, and ultra HD camera data to enhance controllers' situational awareness.
- This AR system provides features like customizable aircraft/vehicle tags and improved visibility through poor conditions or at night, with a successful trial potentially leading to its first live airport test at Singapore's Changi Airport.
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