Advantages At a Glance

Our field-proven technology ensures maximum investment security and measurable operational advantages for your airport. The entire system is currently undergoing testing by TÜV Süd; final acceptance and certification is scheduled for end this year.

• By eliminating human error as the primary cause of docking accidents, apron safety is substantially increased.
• Fully autonomous control eliminates the need to wait for a bridge operator, significantly increasing gate availability and ensuring smooth turnaround times.
• The AI's mathematically optimized, smooth travel curves protect sensitive mechanics and extend the lifespan of the passenger boarding bridge.
• Thanks to 3D LiDAR sensors, the system operates independently of weather conditions, guaranteeing punctual operations even under adverse conditions.

Standard Operating Procedure

The Standard Operation Procedure for VossBridge ensures safe, reliable operation. It encompasses these steps:

• Gate personnel turns the system on and arms the system. System starts detecting incoming aircraft type. Airplane types are detected as the plane moves to the gate
• The ramp agent checks apron and PBB tunnel for people and obstacles, confirms PBB ready to move, confirms terminal door and cabin curtain are closed (screen), and then starts the docking process (button press) 
• PBB starts moving, docks with the aircraft, opens passenger curtain, and signals „PBB safely docked“ to cabin crew and gate personnel
• Cabin crew open aircraft door, gate personnel open terminal door
• Passengers enter or leave the aircraft
• The ramp agent checks apron and PBB tunnel for people and obstacles, confirms PBB ready to move, confirms aircraft and terminal doors are closed (screen), and then starts the parking process (button press
• PBB closes passenger curtain, stops signalling „safely docked“, undocks from aircraft, moves to the parking position, and comes to a standstill

Exceptions and Exception Handling

The system stops the PBB if exceptions occur, for example when it detects objects near the bogie, does not recognize an airplane shape, or a mechanical issue arises.

When an exception occurs,

• the PBB stops or e-stops, autonomy is turned off, and the system is disarmed
• information about the exception (log files) are sent to airport systems if desired
• a human operator is dispatched to the relevant gate to drive the PBB manually 
• if people are in the PBB, Gate Personnel initiates an orderly evacuation process

Proven in Practice at Munich Airport

We have successfully demonstrated the commercial readiness of our technology. The world's first fully autonomous docking with a real passenger aircraft was successfully performed, demonstrated live to management at Munich Airport, and documented on video.

Our proprietary AI assistance system used by VossBridge continuously detects, segments, and seamlessly tracks the aircraft door throughout the entire autonomous journey.