Artificial Intelligence at the Gate:
Autonomous Passenger Boarding Bridges

Precise, Reliable, Cost Effective Control Without Human Intervention

VossBridge safely docks and undocks passenger boarding bridges to and from aircraft doors using Artificial Intelligence. A human bridge operator is not required. The processes for docking to and undocking from parked aircraft run flawlessly, with precise repeatability, and without human intervention.

We have developed VossBridge at Munich Airport together with our technical partner AESP. AESP handles the technical implementation on the passenger boarding bridge. The AI components provided by PSIORI are based on a mature, field-tested AI core that ensures reliable operation at the airport.

Even if the aircraft does not stop exactly at the designated parking position, VossBridge reliably detects the position of the aircraft and the door and guides the bridge to it—day and night, in good weather, as well as in rain and snow.

When multiple bridges are used on a single aircraft, reliable collision avoidance with intelligent path planning prevents the bridges from colliding with each other or with the aircraft. The collision avoidance system also prevents collisions with objects or people while the bridge is in motion.

The safety concept for VossBridge is developed and implemented in close cooperation with TÜV. This ensures that VossBridge can be deployed reliably and safely at airports worldwide.

VossBridge is a trademark of PSIORI GmbH.

Indispensable Automation at the Gate

While many areas on the apron are already highly automated, passenger boarding bridges are still controlled manually and under immense time pressure. This makes manual docking one of the most error-prone phases of ground handling.

According to official studies by the IATA Airside Safety Group, a staggering 92 percent of all apron damage at the gate is caused directly by human error.  VossBridge system effectively and sustainably closes one of the critical safety gaps by automating PBB operation.

VossBridge noticeably reduces operational costs: dedicated bridge operators are no longer required for steering and can instead be deployed to other value-adding areas of the airport. Passenger boarding bridges are ready for use flexibly and on demand at any time, as handling is completely independent of the availability of human operators.

Benefits of the Autonomous Passenger Boarding Bridge for Airport Operations

• Fully Autonomous Operation: The system operates completely independently, performing both docking and undocking without a human operator.
• Manufacturer-Independent Retrofit Kit: As a universal retrofit kit, VossBridge transforms any existing passenger boarding bridge into an autonomous system. At the start of the project, our experts will inspect the existing bridges and determine whether any upgrades are necessary to enable autonomous operation.
• Future-Proof Compliance: The entire system architecture was designed in strict accordance with the guidelines of the new EU Machinery Regulation (2023/1230).
• Continuous Software Updates: The intelligent software is continuously optimized. New aircraft types are integrated via update immediately following their market launch.
• Maximum Collision Protection: The system's reliable safety concept prevents collisions with objects, vehicles, or people in the hazard zone.

System Components

VossBridge combines 3D LiDAR and camera data for precise environmental detection. Based on our extensive experience  particularly with deep neural networks, our AI software processes this data to steer the bridge safely, reliably, and completely autonomously to and from the aircraft door.

Architecture and Cognition

VossBridge utilizes a real-time perception-planning-action architecture to control the jet bridge autonomously.

The Belief-Desire-Intent approach effectively translates environmental knowledge into precise control commands.

VossBridge At Work

Proven in practice at Munich Airport, VossBridge's technology substantially increases apron safety and gate availability. The fully autonomous, weather-independent autonomous gangway ensures fast turnarounds and high operational availability.