Toyota Industries and ANA – All Nippon Airways to test autonomous towing tractors

At the end of March, Toyota Industries and All Nippon Airways (ANA) will test autonomous towing tractors at Saga Airport, it’s the first time that these towing trucks are used in Japan. 

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.

“Efficiency has long been one of ANA’s main goals and these autonomous towing tractors are helping us achieve our targets,” said Shigeru Hattori, Senior Vice President of ANA. “ANA works best when it is streamlined and organized, and the implementation of autonomous towing tractors will allow ANA to boost efficiency across its entire chain of operation while maintaining highest levels of safety. This will increase productivity while also improving traveler satisfaction.”

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.

Toyota Industries and ANA are continuously looking to implement new innovations wherever possible. These advances in technology will aid in the overall acceleration of automation in the aviation and airline industry as a whole.