Lido AMDB for Surface Moving Map Displays

Taxiing on the airport surface is one of the most critical phases of flight. Particularly runway incursions have been the reason for several severe accidents. In order to improve situational awareness, major focus has been put on the migration from paper charts to digital, geo-referenced high-quality depictions of the airport layout. This so-called Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB) includes all operational significant objects, such as holding positions and taxi guidance lines. Using AMDBs, the aircraft’s present position and heading can be depicted relative to airport objects. Those Surface Moving Map Display (SMMD) systems are currently developed for the Airbus A380 and for EFB Class 2 or 3 devices, such as the Lido’s eRouteManual):
For the generation of AMDBs, alternative data sources from the official AIP publishing had to be investigated to extract the required highly accurate data. High-resolution satellite imagery, which only recently has been made available, is the primary solution. They support geo-referencing and guarantee short update-intervals as well as identification of all required spatial data elements.

All AMDB data elements are linked to additional information that may be required for taxi operations, such as maximum wingspan or speed restrictions for a certain taxiway element, using GIS (geographical Information System)-technology.

Lufthansa Systems is currently developing processes for the provision of AMDB for the A380.