Your bag is now safe at airport! Autonomous EVs take charge of luggage at Changi

For the frequent flyers with trust issues, there is good news at Singapore's Changi airport. Considered one of the finest and established as one of the busiest in the world, the Changi airport has deployed autonomous electric vehicles (EVs) - called Auto-Dolly - to handle luggage transport services at one of its terminals. At present, the autonomous or driver-less vehicles have been deployed on a trial basis.

Officials from the Changi Airport point to a manpower shortage that has made the idea of having autonomous vehicles to handle baggage a feasible prospect. Attracting new workers too has not always been easy because driving conventional vehicles in the outdoor conditions is not always appealing to all. But beyond just filling in for actual workers, it is also believed that the baggage delivery efficiency can be increased greatly by such vehicles which, in turn, can elevate passenger service qualities.

It is also possible for more of such autonomous vehicles to be deployed for purposes other than transporting luggage. “The learning from the trials will shape the concept of operations for baggage transportation and potentially catalyse autonomy for other airside vehicles," a press statement from Changi Airport informs. “Auto-Dolly also has the ability to be electronically tagged with one or more units so they can work together as a group, giving this piece of equipment an added advantage."

The first phase of the trial saw Auto Dolly successfully - and autonomously - travel autonomously along airside roadways, as well as within the baggage handling area. The second phase of the trial will now involve testing the safe operations of the Auto-Dolly at the aircraft stand. “Due to its small footprint and tight turning radius, the Auto-dolly can manoeuvre itself precisely next to an aircraft," the statement further highlights. “Changi is the first airport in the world to test this equipment’s ability to perform autonomous loading and unloading of ULDs at the aircraft stand."