“This pioneering space fosters innovation and experimentation in and validation of mobile robotics technologies in a real operating environment such as Castellón airport”
TECNALIA is involved in the first mobile robotics HUB, as a result of which Spain will have a real, permanent airport space to develop and test this type of technology.
Javier Miguélez, Chairman of the Spanish of Mobile Robotics Association (ARME by its Spanish acronym), Justo Vellón Lahoz, General Manager of Castellón Airport, and Carlos Berenguer, General Manager of Aviation at AERTEC Solutions, announced the launch of The SkyBot Lab. This innovative HUB has become the world's first centre dedicated exclusively to mobile robotics in airport environments.
The SkyBot Lab was created to foster innovation and experimentation in and validation of mobile robotics technologies in a real operating environment. Javier Miguélez underlined the ambition of this initiative: “We want Spain to lead this technological transformation, which is already having an impact on the way airports are managed around the world”.
Real testing and validation spaces
The HUB offers companies, technology centres and institutions the opportunity to test and validate mobile robots under real operating conditions. Being able to test these technologies in a real airport environment will speed up their adoption and demonstrate their true operational potential.
In addition, The SkyBot Lab is looking to promote knowledge exchange and sectoral collaboration through technical visits and networking meetings, bringing together the key players in the technology and airport ecosystem, while at the same time raising the profile of developments in the sector and consolidating Spain's role as a leader in specialised mobile robotics.
Innovation and talent at Castellón airport
Justo Vellón, General Manager of Castellón Airport, pointed out the alignment of this initiative with the commitment of the airport and the Generalitat to innovation and talent. “Innovation is one of the main lines of development in the airport's new Strategic Plan, aimed at creating a technological hub linked to the field of aeronautics and aerospace”.
Carlos Berenguer, General Manager of Aviation at AERTEC Solutions, underlined the importance of automation to ensure the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of the airport sector.
Live demonstrations of robotic technologies
Mobile robotics already offers solutions that can be applied to multiple areas in the airport ecosystem: from ground handling operations and perimeter surveillance, to security-critical tasks such as foreign object detection (FOD). There are also applications aimed at improving the passenger experience at terminals, such as customer service robots and optimising parking management.
This capability was shown in action during the presentation, where there was a live demonstration of ten mobile robots in indoor (passenger terminal) and outdoor (airside) areas of the airport. The technologies were provided by five of the member companies of ARME, all of which have developments that are ready to scale up in operational environments such as airports:
- Robottions: robotics for logistics, cleaning and customer service. They demonstrated robots for sweeping, mopping, logistical stacking and passenger assistance.
- Deliverance Robotics: mobile solutions for cleaning, surveillance and delivery. They presented robots acting as waiters, multifunctional robots and autonomous cleaning robots.
- Star Robotics: specialists in 24/7 autonomous surveillance. They showed off their patrol robot for critical areas of the airport.
- MOVVO: heavy intralogistics robotics. They demonstrated an autonomous tractor unit for transporting up to seven tonnes outdoors.
- TECNALIA: leading R&D centre. They presented an infrastructure inspection robot and a hybrid biped robot designed to work with operators.
