Contact: Jeff Beyer at +1-800-939-1821 x703 or jbeyer@clairus.com
MANLIUS, NEW YORK – 13 November 2006 – The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, Eurocontrol, has selected the PiLDo Labs-Clairus team to study the feasibility of sharing data between multiple Wide Area Multilateration systems. Eurocontrol is a civil and military organization made up of 37 member states with a primary mission of developing a seamless, pan-European Air Traffic Management system. PiLDo Labs and Clairus are both independent companies that provide design, development, and consulting services for the Air Traffic Control industry.
Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) technology is changing how the European airspace is monitored and controlled. Whereas traditional radar systems consist of one sensor in a central location, WAM technology relies upon a network of smaller, distributed sensors. As countries within Europe begin to deploy this new technology, Eurocontrol wants to understand how data from one system may be used to augment another system.
Multilateration systems rely on a network of sensors to detect signals transmitted by aircraft. Each sensor’s detection is stamped with a very precise time measurement. The differences between the time measurements made by the various sensors allow for the transmitting aircraft’s location to be determined. This time-difference-of-arrival method is very similar to triangulation.
By sharing sensor and/or system data and cooperating with each other, Eurocontrol hopes that owners of WAM systems can easily expand the coverage of their systems. If WAM Data Sharing is feasible, owners of adjacent WAM systems could expand the volume of controlled airspace without purchasing, installing, or maintaining any additional hardware.
While conducting the WAM Data Sharing Study the PiLDo Labs – Clairus team will investigate how various systems and system components can be used together to enlarge the coverage volume, reduce the number of individual sensors required, and/or increase the level of performance. Several companies sell WAM systems and components, each using a distinct system architecture and design. Currently, the systems offered by the various vendors are not interoperable. Clairus is investigating how the systems and components from multiple vendors could be integrated to work in a cohesive, efficient manner, while maintaining the level of performance that Air Traffic Controllers expect.
PiLDo Labs , based in Barcelona, Spain, provides research design, consulting, and customized product development services within several industries. PiLDo Labs employees are recognized experts in the fields of Aeronautics, Remote Sensing / Earth Observation, and Information Technology. PiLDo Labs was named the Most Socially Responsible Company by Barcelona Activa for 2005.
Clairus is a private company based in Manlius, New York that provides engineering and consulting services to the providers of Air Traffic Control services. Engineers at Clairus are recognized as multilateration technology experts throughout the world.
