Real-Time Path Guidance Software to Optimize Mobile Scanning Position Accuracy on Runways & Taxiways

Abstract: In recent decades, advancements in pavement testing technologies for airports and roadway have enabled mobile testing methods significantly expedite fieldwork. Technologies such as laser scanning, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing, among others, typically require a testing vehicle to follow a straight line or specific path. For roadway scanning, drivers (operators) can generally maintain alignment within lane markings, but conducting similar tests on runways and taxiways presents challenges due to the lack of lane markings for guidance. To address this, a new software was developed in this study to assist drivers in following a predefined path during testing. This software uses real-time GPS data to estimate vehicle's deviation from the pre-determined path, providing immediate feedback to the driver on whether to adjust vehicle’s position for accurate alignment. The software was optimized to minimize processing time, ensuring feedback is provided almost real-time. After each scan, the software generates a report to evaluate the scanning accuracy, with customizable criteria for acceptable deviation levels. This software was implemented to scan the taxiways and runways at the Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport using an LCMS (Laser Crack Measurement System) with a 13-foot scanning width. To ensure full coverage, each runway and taxiway was divided into 10-foot strips, creating a 3-foot overlap between scanning passes. This overlap provided a deviation tolerance of ±1.5 feet, which was challenging to maintain, particularly as the scans were conducted at night. Despite these challenges, the software successfully enabled the operator to maintain the required deviation limit while scanning at speeds up to 50 MPH.