In a long-term collaboration with two California-based tech companies, Tampa International Airport has begun deploying Aeva Technologies Inc.’s lidar technology to monitor everything from terminal crowding to tarmac safety.

 

Short for "light detection and ranging," lidar uses laser light to measure distances and create high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of physical spaces.

 

In partnership with Sotereon.AI — which combines Aeva's (Nasdaq: AEVA) 4D lidar technology with its spatial intelligence platform — the project is backed by a seven-year agreement. It will become one of the country's largest airport deployments of lidar technology, a release said.

 

"We're growing a million plus passengers a year," Doug Wycoff, director of digital solutions and innovation at TPA, said. "[So] we're trying to provide forecasted solutions for our team."

 

Breaking it down

Lidar emits laser pulses that bounce off surfaces and return to the sensor, allowing systems to calculate distance, shape and movement with key accuracy. The technology has been around for decades, but what’s new — and transformative for airports — is how artificial intelligence now processes that data.

 

For example, instead of relying on staff to observe activity manually, the system can provide real-time alerts when intervention is needed, like when a shuttle area is nearing capacity.

 

"It's not just the terminal; it's the gates, it's the roadway, it's all of these things," Wycoff said.

 

The collaboration with Sotereon.AI (formerly The Indoor Lab) began in 2022.

 

“... Whether it’s securing our airports, optimizing vehicle and passenger traffic flow, or tracking tarmac operations, we now have a more comprehensive live operational view that allows airport stakeholders to make faster, smarter decisions," Patrick Blattner, CEO and co-founder of Sotereon.AI, said in a statement.

 

TPA has rolled out 13 lidar-based applications it has developed with Sotereon.AI’s system so far, Wycoff said. While no specific investment size was disclosed, he said the airport is seeing early returns.

 

"If our checkpoint solution gets installed at another airport, then we get a percentage of that back, which repays our investment. That was kind of the methodology that the executive management had when they approved it," Wycoff said. "This is something that enhances Tampa International, and we hope, is a long-term, self-sustaining thing."

 

The team has eyes on what's next: A lidar-based application for foreign object detection on the runway.

 

"[The impact of lidar] is saving time, and it's building efficiencies ... it's not doing away with jobs," he said. "It's making the jobs that we have more efficient."