Security is an important part of airport operations. More and more, LiDAR or light detection and ranging is used to boost airports’ security and efficiency. This article takes a closer look.
Source: William Pao
Needless to say, airports attach great importance to security, especially amid heightened security issues at airport facilities. According to Osprey Flight Solutions, from January to July 2022, the company issued five alerts reporting shootings at Dallas Love Field, Miami, San Francisco, Greenville-Spartanburg and Nashville airports, some of which resulted in disruption to airport operations. Osprey also issued three alerts highlighting stabbing incidents that have affected aviation workers and passengers in 2022 at San Francisco Airport and Boston Logan International Airport. To counter these issues, airports adopt advanced security systems such as video surveillance and access control.
Why is LiDAR good for an airport?
Increasingly, LiDAR is also used in airports to enhance security, operational efficiency as well as passenger experience. LiDAR works by way of shooting laser pulses into the environment; the pulses bounce off objects and return to the sensor, allowing the system to draw a highly detailed 3D map of the surroundings. More and more, it’s found its way into airports due to its various advantages.
“In 2023, several leading international airport groups initiated substantial LiDAR projects that will bring advanced people flow monitoring capabilities to tens of thousands of square meters in 2024,” said Raul Bravo, President and Founder of Outsight. “This technology is now recognized as the next generation for monitoring people flow, curbside, and parking areas. This shift to covering large zones, such as complete terminals or even entire airports, follows an initial phase where stereo-vision cameras were predominantly used in local and relatively small-sized areas to monitor touchpoints, like passport control zones.”
“The practical applications for 3D LiDAR solutions are game changers for enhanced airport physical security and business operations, and the ability to improve the traveller experience from the curb to the boarding gate. From a technological perspective, 3D LiDAR solutions can continuously track people in large and dense environments with extreme accuracy, seeing far beyond the limitations of conventional 2D video imaging and analytics,” said Enzo Signore, CEO of Quanergy Solutions.
Indeed, LiDAR offers certain advantages over other types of security systems, for example, video surveillance. In particular, privacy protection is a major benefit.
“Besides reliable detection of unauthorized intrusions with a low false alarm rate, data privacy is particularly important at airports. LiDAR captures data anonymously, ensuring the preservation of individuals’ privacy rights. With a larger field of view and more flexible mounting options, LiDARs are also more cost-effective than cameras because there is only a smaller amount needed to cover the desired area,” said Florian Petit, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Blickfeld.
“LiDAR, when used with the right processing software, is increasingly preferred in airports due to its precision in tracking passengers’ journeys and its inherent anonymity. This technology does not capture any personal details, aligning with privacy laws like GDPR, and reducing legal and ethical concerns. This anonymity also increases LiDAR’s acceptability among passengers and staff, enhancing airport security and operational efficiency,” said Bravo. “Additionally, the industrialization of LiDAR technology has significantly reduced costs. Outsight uses RoboSense’s LiDAR in several airport applications. Because RoboSense is now able to mass-produce their LiDAR, these solutions have become more affordable than traditional camera or stereo-vision systems and deliver higher value.”
LiDAR airport application
Generally speaking, LiDAR has security and non-security applications at airports. Not only can they secure airports, but they can also enhance operational efficiency and the user experience. Below we take a closer look.
Security
According to Signore, in terms of security, a breach in the perimeter, even just one, can potentially bring airport operations to a standstill, leading to flight delays and compromising the safety of travellers and personnel. “The consequences may include significant financial repercussions for airports, encompassing substantial fines, damages, and the loss of millions of dollars in revenue,” he said. “3D LiDAR is a proven technology for superior perimeter intrusion detection applications. 3D LiDAR also provides a highly effective means of eliminating tailgating and piggybacking through security mantraps and revolving doors into secured areas, which is a prevalent security challenge in busy airport terminals.”
“Unauthorized access to critical areas, such as aircraft parking zones, must be promptly detected, triggering an immediate alarm for swift intervention by security personnel,” Petit said. “Simultaneously, the detection solution must only trigger an alarm for unauthorized human entry. Intrusion detection systems lacking 3D LiDAR data often fail in this regard, resulting in numerous false alarms, triggered for example by vegetation or animals.”
Operational efficiency
LiDAR can provide insights into occupancy and foot traffic at the airport. This, in turn, can help operators allocate resources more effectively.
“From an operational perspective, LiDAR facilitates the real-time, effective allocation of resources and staff management. Advanced software solutions, such as those offered by Outsight, introduce unique features like the automatic detection of overflowing queues. If not addressed promptly, such situations can lead to a diminished passenger experience,” Bravo said.
“A 3D LiDAR solution delivers new sources of data-driven intelligence on pedestrian and vehicular movements and density/occupancy, providing airport management with insights to better allocate personnel resources and processes. This includes everything from baggage handling to queue management for deliveries and food/retail areas, and personnel and traveller transportation services,” Signore said.
Improved user experience
This, then, can lead to a better user/traveller experience at the airport. “A 3D LiDAR provides the unparalleled ability to simultaneously track up to 600 individuals in crowded terminals, including check-in areas, security checkpoints, boarding gates, retail and dining areas, and baggage transport systems and claim areas. Here, the people and vehicle counting and tracking can assist with queue management to monitor and manage wait and dwell times to ensure smoother operations, which ultimately enhances the traveller experience,” Signore said.
How to Successfully Deploy a LiDAR System in Airports
As we mentioned earlier, LiDAR is increasingly used in airports for security and non-security purposes. But how can a LiDAR system be set up right? This article takes a closer look.
LiDAR has increasingly found its way into airports. LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging and works by way of shooting laser beams into the environment and analyzing the beams that return. More and more, it’s used by airports as a viable solution not just for security, but for operational efficiency as well.
“To avoid lengthy waiting times at the security checkpoints, passenger volumes and movements in the check-in hall can be detected and analyzed. LiDAR-based people counting technology allows the staffing of the security checkpoints lanes to be adapted to the actual passenger traffic,” said Florian Petit, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Blickfeld.
Advantages over video surveillance
Indeed, LiDAR offers certain benefits to airport operators, compared to conventional security systems such as video surveillance. “3D LiDAR sensors can cover a very large area compared to traditional cameras by an order of magnitude. Coupled with its hyper-accuracy, 3D LiDAR provides a significant total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage, which becomes even greater when considering the cost of infrastructure, cabling, and deployment. In short, you only need a few LiDAR sensors to cover the same area that would otherwise require several cameras to monitor,” said Enzo Signore, CEO of Quanergy Solutions.
Raul Bravo, President and Founder of Outsight, agrees.
“While LiDAR technology used to be quite expensive and more on the prototype level, it’s now much more accessible both in terms of cost and performance,” he said. “The value you get from (Outsight partner) RoboSense LiDAR these days is impressive. Thanks to the company’s technological progress and increased production, it’s become a more affordable option compared to regular camera systems. What adds to its cost-effectiveness is using fewer units per square meter, cutting down on everything from hardware costs to installation, wiring, networking, and ongoing maintenance.”
Bravo adds that the cost saved from false alarms reduction achieved by LiDAR can also be significant. “LiDAR’s advanced features significantly mitigate the issue of false alarms, a major concern in security operations, where false alarm rates can reach as high as 97 per cent, leading to alarm fatigue and potential security lapses. In 2022, these false alarms cost an estimated US$1.8 billion in wasted resources. LiDAR, especially when paired with sophisticated software, marks a significant advancement in this area,” he said.
Working in conjunction with cameras
Yet this doesn’t mean LiDAR can’t work in conjunction with cameras in airports. In fact, both technologies can complement each other quite well.
“3D LiDAR can easily become the ‘third eye’ of any security camera system. 3D LiDAR sensors provide object geolocation with pinpoint accuracy to the PTZ cameras to enable a ‘slew to cue’ workflow so the cameras never lose sight of the people/objects identified for tracking,” Signore said.
“In many scenarios, after the detection of unauthorized intrusions with LiDAR technology, cameras are employed for verification, which can also be beneficial in airports. However, careful attention must be paid to protecting individuals’ privacy rights in this process,” Petit said. “The high resolution of the data provided by the Blickfeld Security solution can in certain cases eliminate the need for cameras for verification and distinguish people anonymously from other objects.”
Deploying a LiDAR system in airports
As with other types of security solutions, deploying a LiDAR system in airports requires careful planning and a thorough understanding of the airport environment.
“3D LiDAR deployment at commercial airports needs to be strategically planned and deployed just like a security camera-based solution to ensure that the desired wide area coverage is obtained,” Signore said.
“The optimal installation depends on the specific local conditions. Typically, an installation on the hall ceiling or other elevated areas is recommended, allowing the sensors to have a comprehensive view and minimizing the number of devices required. With Blickfeld’s Qb2 LiDAR solution, installation and operation are notably straightforward. This is due to the software on the device requiring less cabling, and the possibility of WLAN transmission of the data,” Petit said.
According to Bravo, successfully deploying a LiDAR solution hinges on three critical aspects: engaging with LiDAR technology experts, ensuring distinct expertise in hardware and software, and utilizing advanced 3D simulation software.
“The complex nature of LiDAR technology necessitates collaboration with seasoned professionals. This specialized technology requires expertise that many companies, traditionally offering old-fashioned solutions like Wifi tracking or Stereo-vision, may not possess,” he said.
Bravo added: “It’s essential that hardware and software components are provided by expert entities, keeping full inter-operability. Crafting LiDAR software is a complex task, more challenging than traditional computer vision software for cameras, and requires its own set of specialized skills, distinct from hardware design and manufacturing. For planning, advanced tools like Outsight’s 3D LiDAR Simulator are indispensable in optimizing sensor setup, a crucial step in deployment. Utilized in over 2000 projects, this tool is both a pioneer and leader in its field.”
