SEMCON TESTS AUTONOMOUS SNOWPLOUGHS AT OSLO AIRPORT

Earlier this year, autonomous snowploughs cleared snow from the runway at Fagernes Airport in Norway for the very first time. This project, which goes by the name of Yeti, is now embarking upon the next phase in its implementation and the snowploughs will go into live operation at Oslo Airport this winter.

Autonomous snow clearing will allow airports over the world to streamline their activities and reduce delays for their passengers. And now autonomous snowploughs have to prove what they can do. Two autonomous vehicles will be going into live operation and clearing snow at one of the busiest airports in Scandinavia. The future objective is to maintain a fleet of ten autonomous snowploughs that will keep runways clear of snow.

“After having tested the control system at Fagernes Airport, we are really pleased that we are now able to launch this pilot scheme at Oslo Airport. Our aim is to complete 40 operations to ensure that the system is working as intended and see how we can develop it further. We are then hoping that more world airports will be interested in this technology,” says John Emil Halden, project manager at Semcon.

The Yeti project is the first of its kind to adapt such large machines for autonomous operation in wintry conditions. Semcon is responsible for the technology that makes autonomous snow clearing possible.

This project has been developed by Yeti Snow Technology, co-owned by Semcon and Øveraasen, for Norwegian airport operator Avinor. The trials at Oslo Airport will begin in January 2019.

Learn more and watch videos about the Yeti project.

For more information, please contact:

Per Nilsson, head of communications and marketing, Semcon
Tel.: +46 (0)739 737 200 Email: per.nilsson@semcon.com

Semcon is an international technology company that develops products based on human needs and behaviours. We strengthen our customers’ competitiveness by always starting from the end user, because the person who knows most about the user’s needs creates the best products and the clearest benefits to humans. Semcon collaborates mainly with companies in the automotive, industry, energy and life science sectors. With more than 2,000 specialised employees, Semcon has the ability to take care of the entire product development cycle, from strategy and technology development to design and product information. Semcon was founded in Sweden in 1980 and has offices in over 30 locations in eight different countries. In 2017, the Group reported annual sales of SEK 1.8 billion. Read more on www.semcon.com

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