Technology
The airport end of the system is a compact sensor package. The working position lives at the other end of the network, which is what makes it portable, replicable and independent of a building.
On site
The airport end of the system is deliberately small. It captures the environment and hands it to the network; it does not host the working position.
Discuss your airport setup →Continuous live panorama of runways, taxiways and apron areas, assembled from commercially available cameras.
VISUALSteerable high resolution detail view, used the way binoculars are used in a conventional tower.
DETAILAcoustic context from the aerodrome environment, which carries information the picture alone does not.
AUDIOA local computer prepares the video, performs the stitching and handles secure transport of the streams.
COMPUTEStandard immersive hardware at the operator's end. No purpose built console, no display wall.
WORKSPACEDesigned for efficient transport. The research concept reports requirements low enough for mobile or satellite links where fibre is not available.
NETWORKFrom sensor to workspace
Each stage is replaceable on its own. The cameras can change without touching the workspace; the workspace can be updated without returning to the airport.
A clear path to deployment
Every deployment has to reflect the aerodrome, the service type, the traffic profile, the safety case and the regulatory environment. VisionATS provides a modular basis for that process, not a shortcut through it.
Airspace, traffic, service level, stakeholders and the target operating model are defined before any hardware is specified.
Camera coverage, audio, edge compute, connectivity and resilience are planned against the actual geometry of the aerodrome.
The panoramic view, panels, interactions and airport specific procedures are configured and reviewed with the people who will use them.
Human factors, safety, performance and operational readiness are evaluated together with the relevant authorities before live operation.
Product roadmap
A working VR tower position used to show the concept, collect operational feedback and validate the interaction model with AFIS officers and aerodromes.
A complete airport ready configuration with the full sensor chain, the refined workspace and the performance needed for supervised trials on site.
A standardised, repeatable installation that can be deployed, replicated and supported across multiple airports under the monthly rental model.
Approval by the responsible authorities for live air traffic services, based on the project specific safety case, human factors evidence and validation.
Where the concept stands
The distinction matters. Remote tower operations have been in service for years: the first operational installation went live in Sweden in 2015, and the German ANSP has controlled Saarbrücken from the remote tower centre in Leipzig since December 2018. That technology traces back to a DLR idea from 2002 and the first prototype at Braunschweig-Wolfsburg in 2005.
The fully virtualised working position is the step after that, and it is still in development. VisionATS is currently at demonstrator stage.
What that means in practice: a first project starts as an evaluation, with a defined scope, defined success criteria and the authority involved from the beginning.
Camera coverage, connectivity and redundancy are geometry problems. They are best discussed against a real aerodrome layout.