On an average day, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handles around 31,000 pieces of baggage from transferring passengers, most of which is processed in the morning, putting pressure on the baggage system and handling operations.
To transport baggage streams more efficiently, Schiphol is testing an all-electric, self-driving baggage vehicle supplied by Aurrigo, which will transport luggage from passengers with long layovers from the aircraft to a temporary, secured storage location.
The first phase of the Auto-DollyTug® trial began in August last year, testing the route from the temporary baggage storage area to a secured storage location. At the appropriate time, the autonomous vehicle then delivers the baggage to the baggage hall, where it can be entered into the system and further processed to the connecting fleet.
During this time, the vehicle mapped the platform environment using 3D cameras and learned how to navigate independently. Step-by-step, various aspects were trialled, such as autonomously picking up and dropping off containers and manoeuvring through the busy baggage hall.
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