The Auto-DollyTug, which has new ground handling capabilities and is more manoeuvrable, will be tested in different scenarios to assess its efficiency and speed with aircraft turnaround times.
The 3rd generation baggage handling vehicle, which Aurrigo says combines the utility of a baggage tractor and the unit load device carrying capability of an airport dolly, can rotate in its own length and move directly sideways and slide into tight spaces using its sideways drive system.
The new model features Aurrigo’s auto-loading and release management system that adds bi-directional robotic arms to the body, allowing the vehicle to autonomously load and unload the ULD from itself.
Professor David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo says the Auto-DollyTug was the result of clean sheet of paper thinking and not from modifying an existing vehicle, which means not only can it carry a ULD on its body, it can transfer the ULD directly on to a JCPL or high loader.
He said: “We have never built a diesel-powered airport vehicle so we don’t have to work around the compromises of a legacy GSE vehicle product. This 3rd generation of the Auto-DollyTug has been designed to incorporate the experience we have gained from the extensive airside testing already carried out with our 2nd generation vehicle at Changi Airport.”
Earlier versions of the Auto-DollyTug have been on trial at Changi Airport since February 2022 to test it in a live airside environment and to push the limits of the technology in a hot and humid climate.
Poh Li San, Senior Vice President Terminal 5 Specialised Systems at Changi Airport Group, said: “The latest Auto-DollyTug has made its airside debut at our airport and we look forward to studying how it handles the challenges of a dynamic airport environment.”
