A prototype for measuring the latency of video feeds in remote air traffic control towers has been completed by bachelor's students in hardware development and programming at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) as part of a student project.
The project involved students Laura Kõrgmaa, Anee Mändmets, Karl Paabut, and Auris Prääm, who collaborated with the international company Adacel Technologies Estonia to develop a device that measures the latency in video feeds for virtual air traffic control towers.
According to their supervisor, Priit Roosipuu, a faculty member at TalTech's Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics and a communications solutions developer, the project resulted in four bachelor's theses. "Practical assignments are a natural part of the curriculum for future electronic engineers. Solving real-world problems with a company lays a strong foundation for their future," said Roosipuu.
Under international standards, systems must transmit video feeds within one second—from camera sensor to monitor display.
Erki Meinberg, the engineering team leader at Adacel Technologies Estonia, explained that Adacel's systems in Estonia involve 18 cameras. Implementing remote tower systems necessitates the continuous development of tools to measure video latency.
In Estonia, virtual air traffic control systems are operational at Tartu and Kuressaare airports, with the control center located in Tallinn—video feeds along with radio communications and other data are transmitted to a digital tower center in Tallinn.
"Students help create innovative and alternative solutions, making the process more convenient and reliable. We tasked them with developing a device with two separate components that could integrate into the system since the cameras are physically located in a different city from the control center," Meinberg commented.
Georg Mäll, the business unit manager at Adacel Technologies, noted that Adacel is a global technology company that develops and implements air traffic control systems and air traffic simulation and training solutions. "In addition to Tartu and Kuressaare airports, it is planned to digitize all Estonian regional airports when implementing the digital tower solution. Estonia is the third country in the European Union and the sixth in the world, where air traffic services are already provided to two airports only with the help of a digital tower. The use of virtual air traffic control systems is recognized all over the world and the technology can be used in other countries as well, said Mäll.
Mäll emphasized that both he and Adacel's engineering leader, Erki Meinberg, are graduates of TalTech and are keen to positively influence students' progress. "Project-based learning is a great way for the company to find future talent and for students to enhance their job prospects—active students involved in projects always stand out more in job interviews," added the business unit manager of Adacel Technologies.
Adacel is a global technology company that develops and deploys air traffic control systems and air traffic management simulation and training solutions. The company was founded in 1987, and since 2022, its European headquarters and remote tower development center have been located in Tallinn. In cooperation with Air Traffic Services, Adacel Technologies' air traffic management digital tower solution was named the Project of the Year in Estonian aviation in 2023.