Tow tractor goes driverless at French airport

News Story
- 9 Nov 2023 ( #1153 ) - Toulouse, France
1 min read
The autonomous tow tractor's route will be extended to to 2,000m
The autonomous tow tractor's route will be extended to to 2,000m

An autonomous tow tractor operating at Toulouse-Blagnac airport in France has been authorised to operate without a human on board.

French driverless software provider EasyMile announced the EZTow tow tractor, which has been operating at the airport since late 2022, had reached level 4 of autonomous driving, allowing it to operate on an extended route.

“Progressing to Level 4 is not just a technological achievement, it is a critical milestone in demonstrating the value of an industrial autonomous vehicle,” EasyMile says in a statement.

“By removing any human intervention on board, cost and time efficiency, scalability and flexibility are unlocked.

“It shows that driverless applications like this are not only truly capable of manoeuvring and navigating complex scenarios on their own, but that they are also commercially viable.”

Partners in the deployment are Alvest Group, TLD and Smart Airport Systems for the vehicle, EasyMile for the driverless technology and ground handling company Alyzia.

“The vehicle’s route prolongation from 800m to 2,000m will extend its use to more situations in the airport, such as studying baggage tracks and optimising trajectories and manoeuvres,” EasyMile says.

“The new route also adds challenges like narrow trajectories in the indoors area, also known as the luggage gallery, and more interactions with other traffic.”

EZTows are also in use at Narita International in Japan and at Changi Airport in Singapore. 

They also operate at a number of major automotive manufacturing plants and logistics centres in Europe and the United States, including the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing and Daimler Truck AG in Germany.

GreyOrange unveils autonomous forklifts
GreyOrange unveils autonomous forklifts 1 Aug 2024 - Atlanta, GA, United States - 1 min read
Logistics UK issues automated vehicle warning
Logistics UK issues automated vehicle warning 23 May 2024 - London, United Kingdom - 2 min read
Holman Logistics adds autonomous forklifts
Holman Logistics adds autonomous forklifts 23 May 2024 - Federal Way, WA, United States - 1 min read
Previously about:
EasyMile achieves safety certification for driverless tech News Story - 25 Apr 2024 - Toulouse, France - 1 min read
EasyMile delivers driverless first News Story - 5 Nov 2020 - Toulouse, France - 1 min read
IFOY Test Results: AGV/Robot News Story - 19 Mar 2020 - 8 min read
Camso chosen for driverless tractor News Story - 24 Oct 2019 - Magog, QC, Canada - 2 min read
Do you have materials handling news? Submit your news here

Showcased in the Virtual Expo

Use your high-impact banner on our high-traffic technical forum pages to promote your products, services, or career opportunities directly to forklift technicians and engineers.

Starting at just $396 (USD) for 100,000 impressions.

Since our launch in February 2005, Forkliftaction has been home to the leading global discussion forum for forklift technicians, attracting 98,000 visits every week.

Spaces are limited—contact us today!

Words of support …

I know I can count on them. They give valuable suggestions on the campaign planning, and to publish content is as easy as abc, as they take care of the material layout and check links. This is a great support.

Annalisa Castellini, Marketing Manager - Bolzoni S.p.A.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

Use your high-impact banner on our high-traffic technical forum pages to promote your products, services, or career opportunities directly to forklift technicians and engineers.

Starting at just $396 (USD) for 100,000 impressions.

Since our launch in February 2005, Forkliftaction has been home to the leading global discussion forum for forklift technicians, attracting 98,000 visits every week.

Spaces are limited—contact us today!

PREMIUM business

Hyster
Hyster is a world-leading provider of forklift trucks and services in the materials handling industry.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

Use your high-impact banner on our high-traffic technical forum pages to promote your products, services, or career opportunities directly to forklift technicians and engineers.

Starting at just $396 (USD) for 100,000 impressions.

Since our launch in February 2005, Forkliftaction has been home to the leading global discussion forum for forklift technicians, attracting 98,000 visits every week.

Spaces are limited—contact us today!