Air traffic control delivered from a remote location using cameras and sensors instead of an on-airport tower.
A remote tower replaces the traditional out-the-window view from a tall on-airport cab with high-definition cameras, pan-tilt-zoom optics, infrared and thermal sensors, microphones, and signal feeds that are streamed to controllers in a remote operations centre. Controllers work a panoramic reconstruction of the airfield, with aircraft labels, tracking, and overlays superimposed on the live video. The concept lets one facility provide air traffic services to one or several airports, cuts the cost of building and maintaining physical towers, and brings year-round ATC within reach of smaller airports that could never justify a conventional tower.