Aston University has joined forces with Aurrigo, a provider of autonomous vehicles and related software for international airport operations, to develop AI to make its fleet even more efficient, responsive and sustainable.

As the number of autonomous vehicles used for baggage and cargo handling at airports continues to grow, managing these fleets becomes increasingly complex.

Traditionally, task allocation and scheduling have relied on centrally controlled systems overseen by human operators. They must interpret large volumes of real-time information (for example, battery level and location) and respond to frequent changes such as flight delays or gate reassignments. While effective at smaller scales, this approach can create decision bottlenecks and limit the ability of fleets to adapt quickly as operations expand.

Under the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), Aston University’s research team will develop new algorithms that allow individual vehicles to make smart, safe decisions locally, based on their real-time status and surroundings, and their place in the wider network of AVs.