Airport People Mover Research Articles

Multiobjective dynamic routing with predefined stops for automated vehicles

ABSTRACTNowadays transportation represents an important field for CPS applications due to the rapid development of highly automated or autonomous vehicles, e.g. warehouse vehicles, airport people movers, public transport, etc. These vehicles are usually designed to circulate on fixed routes independently of the actual state of the network in order to fulfil a given criterion, such as traveling on the shortest path or including scheduled stops. This paper introduces a routing approach that allows automated vehicles to travel on different paths between given points, minimising the generalised cost of the route. Between fixed points, which can be either different storage points in a warehouse or simply public transport stops, possible routes are modelled as a continuously updated weighted directed graph. The weights represent relevant parameters of links, collected from surrounding sensors and monitoring systems of the network. Route optimisation is done by Yen’s algorithm depending on the timetable: if the vehicle will reach the next stop on time, the alternative with the lowest generalised cost is chosen; else the fastest route is followed. The method is introduced specifically via the problem of traffic congestion on public transport paths, but can be generalised, e.g. any transport system within factories or warehouses.

The potential application of monorail technology as a tool for economic redevelopment-a case study Fresno, California

Often transportation authorities regard monorail technology as appropriate only for theme parks and airport people movers. This is despite the fact the Wuppertal, Germany monorail, the world's oldest operating monorail system, has carried in an urban transportation environment more than two billion passengers since 1901. Recently, monorails have been planned and built as an integral part of intermodal urban transport systems. Proponents of monorails argue that monorails have both low construction and operating costs, have very low accident rates because of being elevated away form surface traffic, are environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Fresno, California has experienced a deterioration of its urban central core. The post World War I1 discovery of its suburbs made largely possible by the highway and automobile revolutions have shifted resources away from, and thus impoverishing, Fresno's center. The city seeks to reverse this trend. Fresno's strategy to correct this situation is to develop a comprehensive, essentially privately funded, automated monorail system. Associated with the monorail operation would be a system of small neighborhood shuttle buses. This paper examines the validity of Fresno's proposed monorail l?om both technological and strategic perspectives.

Airport people movers: Reaching outside the fence

AbstractThere is intensifying need to rationalize the growth and operation of expanding airports and the “airport city” around them. The provision of people mover systems at airports has grown into a mature and increasingly competitive industry. These automated train systems have revolutionized the way major airports are planned. Terminal, parking, and auxiliary facilities can be spread out to provide maneuvering room for aircraft and ground equipment, with walking distances overcome by efficient, reliable people mover service. This paper argues that the success at handling airport circulation should be extended outside the airport fence to serve parking intercepts, regional transit, and many of the facilities which increasingly cluster around airports.