Toyota Industries Corporation and All Nippon Airways (ANA), are collaborating to test Japan’s first autonomous towing tractors at Saga Airport.
During this trial, which will be for two weeks at the end of March 2019, the tractors will run a distance of roughly 100 meters in the airport, which is the same distance between the baggage sorting areas and aircraft at Saga Airport. An airport employee will be seated in the autonomous towing truck during the tests and will have the ability to override the system at any time if deemed necessary.
The towing tractors use 2D/3D LiDAR sensors to automatically detect objects in their path and allow the vehicles to automatically adjust course. This enables the tractor to move safely and accurately along its present route. A road pattern matching system and a GPS system are also housed in the tractor, allowing it to calculate its current location and guide itself.
