A startup company at the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub has created an autonomous robot to locate, identify, and pick up debris on airport tarmacs.
The engineers behind Airtrek Robotics — who developed the idea and built the Roomba-like robot — say the technology will improve airport safety by efficiently removing debris, often small pieces of metal, found along runways that can sometimes damage planes and other equipment.
Airtrek Robotics' co-founder and CEO Chris Lee says those small pieces can pose a bigger risk to pilots, crew, passengers, and workers on the tarmac than people might think.
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"These little small things, when they get sucked into the jet engines, they can severely damage the aircraft; sometimes cause fires," Lee said.
Lee says at many airports, the responsibility of locating and picking up small debris often falls on airport workers. Still, the human eye can miss objects and sometimes workers are too busy to search an entire area. Airtrek's robot uses AI to scan the area for loose objects, locate and identify them, and move toward them dragging a mat behind the robot to collect the debris.
The robot went from concept to prototype to an airport trial-ready product entirely inside UC's 1819 Innovation Hub using the building's lab space. Airtrek Robotics also participated in the Innovation Hub's Venture Lab startup accelerator program to secure funding from an investor for the endeavor.
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The robot was recently showcased at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich., which the team of engineers has deemed a success.
Airtrek says several airports around the country have expressed interest in the robot, and the team plans to continue to refine and test the technology at other smaller airports before potentially taking the product to the next level at the country's largest airports.
