WATERFORD ~ Pentastar Aviation, a private aviation services company out of Oakland County Airport, launched the world’s first autonomous wing-walking device by Airtrek Robotics. Pentastar and Airtrek officials said the robot is an innovation in aircraft safety and operation efficiency.
Wing-walkers communicate with a tow-operator to guide an aircraft to ensure clearance of wingtips and prevent collisions. Wing-walkers are typically aviation technicians, and some airlines have replaced runway-personnel with remote-operative robots. Airtrek has engineered a fully autonomous wing-walker to minimize human-error.
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(CONTINUED) Pentastar Vice President of FBO Services Benjamin Hammond said that, in aviation, “80% of ground accidents happen because of human error.” He said that Airtrek’s device will reduce distractions and maximize safety. With less pressure on aviation technicians, Hammond said, Pentastar will have more opportunity to service passengers.
Airtrek co-founder and CEO Chris Lee explained that the robot uses sensing capabilities to monitor an aircraft’s wingtips and tail at the same time, a common blind spot for traditional wing-walkers. Lee said Airtrek is focused on business-partnerships in its introduction, but expansion is a long-term goal. “This technology, we believe, can provide value to the other segments of aviation as well.” He named commercial and military-use as potential developments.
The Airtrek autonomous wing-walker requires a technician only to initiate action, and a single technician can start multiple robots at once. Hammond noted that autonomous wing-walkers do not replace jobs, but make them safer, and that affected-personnel will shift their focus to customer service.
