LUMOS - airborne traffic monitoring system

In this project a system for real-time airborne areal traffic monitoring has been designed, implemented and demonstrated in Berlin. The system encompasses the following steps: image and attitude recording aboard an aircraft, image preprocessing and transfer to ground, further image processing for extracting the traffic data and aggregation of traffic data and their input into newly developed simulation and prognosis tools to close the gaps between overflights. The system is completed by an open interface to service companies that support end users with traffic information and recommendations. The technological challenges were on the software side the development of appropriate fast image processing methods and new traffic simulation and prognosis tools and on the hardware side the integration of all components and subsystems to a working complete system. A major aim of the project was the comparison of the new approach with established methods of traffic monitoring w.r.t. accuracy and efficiency. For validating the complete LUMOS concept and its implementation a flight campaign was performed by the DLR-Institute of Transport Research and the other project partners in the area of Berlin in May 2003. First results of comparison of airborne and conventional traffic measurements are presented in this paper. Besides DLR, the following partner collaborate within LUMOS: IQ-Wireless, ScanDat, Teltec Telematik, BLIC, Fraunhofer Institute of Computer Architecture and Software Technology and _"Forschungs- und Anwendungsverbund Verkehrssystemtechnik Berlin (FAV).