Development of Smart Tow Vehicles for the Activation of Urban Air Mobility Vertiport Infrastructure

Recent developments in futuristic transportation modes, such as urban air mobility (UAM) and vertiports, are gaining momentum. However, advancement in studies on policy development for the management, regulation, and necessary infrastructure of the UAM remains insufficient. Given the commercialization of short-range flight technologies commonly used in this sector, UAM aircraft require more frequent maintenance than traditional airplanes. Thus, management of such vehicles is crucial. Efficient operation of UAM aircraft necessitates towing tasks. In this paper, a smart tow vehicle is proposed, in which one of the primary ground handling equipment at airports is automated to address problems arising from human factors in towing operations. Two models for the smart tow vehicle are designed, namely, a mobile manipulation robot and a lift-up style mobile robot. The former performs the role of a conventional tug with a multipurpose robotic arm, while the latter functions as a tow vehicle without a towbar. These future-oriented tow vehicles, which are equipped with autonomous driving and autonomous operation capabilities, are expected to resolve issues related to the maintenance of UAM within vertiports. In addition, they are anticipated to minimize human errors in towing tasks and contribute to a smoother ground traffic environment at airports. The process of a smart tow vehicle approaching an aircraft is presented using ROS/Gazebo simulation, in which a high-fidelity virtual environment is created, and the two models are designed. In addition, the application of SLAM technology and Move-it! is explained for the effective implementation of autonomous driving and autonomous operation functions.