The AI-based fully automatic AVES Airport bird deterrence system will soon be used on the runway at Airbus Operations' Finkenwerder special airfield to protect aircraft taking off and landing from bird strikes. The system has been developed by ProTecBird, a joint venture between the companies BioConsult SH and Protectis Air.
AVES Airport is a fully automated anti-collision system that is based on AI technology. The system is able to effectively deter and drive away individual birds as well as entire flocks. This is achieved through an intelligent combination of a highly efficient acoustic module and AI-supported camera systems as well as the use of high-precision optronics.
The systems are installed at the edge of the runway, detect and track the birds and then guide them into avoidance corridors using targeted sound pulses. Thanks to the use of specially developed AI, birds are reliably recognised even in difficult lighting conditions such as twilight and at night.
A particular feature of the system is the event-based deterrence. This ensures that the birds do not become habituated to the deterrence measures. An integrated ADS-B receiver automatically activates the systems 3 minutes before an aircraft takes off or lands and subsequently switches off the deterrence system.
In order to minimise the environmental impact, the systems include a modular noise protection, which reduces noise pollution to a minimum.
With the introduction of the AVES Airport System, ProTecBird is establishing a milestone in flight safety technology.
Further information
https://www.bioconsult-sh.de/en/services/protecbird-avoiding-collisions-with-wind-turbines