Purdue Polytechnic Institute Patenting Low-cost Runway Status Lights

Purdue Polytechnic Patenting Runway Status Lights

ADS-B and computer vision enables system to detect landing and on-runway traffic

Purdue Polytechnic runway status light visualization — Researchers at Purdue Polytechnic Institute developed this visualization of what runway status lights might look like using X-Plane 11 simulator software.

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

December 18, 2024

Researchers at Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute are demonstrating a low-cost, solar-powered runway status light system that identifies aircraft near or on runways using computer vision and ADS-B signals. Called Simple, Affordable, Flexible, and Expandable Runway Status Lights (SAFE-RWSL), the system detects landing traffic and aircraft on a runway and illuminates lights at the taxiway entrance to the runway to warn pilots and airport personnel not to enter the runway.

Purdue said SAFE-RWSL is ideally suited for smaller airports because its projected cost is far less than the tens of millions of dollars needed for radar-based runway surveillance systems. “Based on the performed study, the use of simplified runway status lights is expected to be effective at reducing runway incursion risk in nontowered, no-traffic environments when a conflicting aircraft is difficult to see,” said Luigi Dy, a doctoral student at Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.