Sky-Scanner: a New Paradigm for Air Traffic Management

Abstract

Laser detection and tracking of aircrafts based
\nsystems (LIDARs, LIgth Detection And Ranging systems) are
\nemerging as a critical design trend in development of new generation
\nATM (Air Traffic Management) paradigms, of which they are the
\nmain innovations. The realization of laser sensors as rotating laser
\nrange-finder arrays and their combination to versatile systems lead to
\nmajor advantages for the application such as Air Traffic Control
\nwithin Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ), airport surveillance and
\nground to air laser communications, and last but not least to save cost
\nusually at the same time with getting an improved ATC (Air Traffic
\nControl) performance. These laser systems that today can be
\ndeveloped without particular difficulties are challenging classical
\nATM paradigms in many aspects. Nevertheless, it is commonly
\nrecognized that the effectiveness of these systems strictly relies on
\nthe capability to reliably perform a track data fusion with airport
\nradars and to manage a new generation ATM paradigm. In
\nparticular, driving and control a data fusion between laser tracking
\ndata and radar tracking data a very high computation power is
\nrequired.
\nThe main goal of the presented project is therefore to develop a
\nnovel laser tracking technology (SKY-Scanner System) capable to
\ndetect and track of aircrafts up to at least 6 nautical miles from the
\nATZ barycenter, namely a facility of enabling techniques, protocols,
\nnumerical prediction tools and devices specifically designed for the
\nanalysis of the laser systems performances in ATC applications, with
\nthe final target of defining a new generation ATM paradigm based on
\nradar and laser tracking data fusion, and ground to air laser
\ncommunications. The proposed methodology is considered at the
\nfrontier of technological research but it represents the only realistic
\nway to put solid basis for the fabrication of effective radar and lidar
\nintegrated systems for incorporation in new generation ATM
\nparadigms.