Vancouver Airport Gets Technical On Passenger "Happiness"

Vancouver International Airport in Canada (YVR) uses 3D lidar technology to analyze footfall and passenger journeys and improve passenger “happiness”.

The 3D lidar sensor and advanced perception software, Q-Track, enables the airport to identify, classify, and track people and objects for enhanced operational insights.

Before this implementation, YVR employed several camera-based and 3D stereoscopic sensor solutions to provide queue analysis and people-counting in several areas around the airport.

This system had limited effectiveness. It struggled to gather accurate data due to restricted fields of view and depth perception, which would result in inaccurate queue counts and limit its usefulness. 

The new YVR solution uses insights to meet several operational and business imperatives, such as cutting check-in time and the time spent passing through security procedures.

“Through the implementation of Quanergy’s solutions, we have harnessed the power of real-time insights, gaining a deep understanding of passenger volumes and the associated wait times at different stages of their journey through the terminal," said Jason Williams, manager of innovation and technology group, YVR.

Quanergy also claims to be able to reduce deployment costs, with one of its 3D lidar sensors providing the coverage of up to five stereoscopic cameras. YVR needed to use only one Quanergy lidar to cover the same area, which would have required seven or more of its existing sensors. 

The initiatives in Vancouver are only one example of smart airport technology being implemented around the world.

At Iceland’s international gateway, Keflavik, Veovo’s Queue Balancer solution has been implemented to optimize passenger flow and improve the transfer experience at its border control.

Using sensors and real-time data, Veovo’s Queue Balancing solution automatically directs passengers through dynamic signage to the next available lane or counter, eliminating the need for staff-managed queue distribution.

The airport aims to maximize resources, enhance throughput, improve passenger experience, and ensure on-time performance.

Image credit: iStockphoto/Prostock-Studio