Phil Davis, enterprise sales account executive at Transpoco Telematics – an Ireland-based innovative technology company focussing on telematics and artificial intelligence (AI) safety camera technology for airport ground handlers – spoke with Airside publisher Parveen Raja at GSE Expo Europe about the company’s product offering
Raja: Tell us about Transpoco, in a nutshell?
Davis: At Transpoco Telematics we provide an integrated telematics and AI camera solution for airport clients focussing on safety and security around the airport, driver operators and other actors. We work closely with Iberia across various stations in Spain, we have Aer Lingus on board as well as a valued client and we work with some airport authorities just providing insight into the operations at their airports.
In terms of the primary features of our solutions, we focus on safety as I mentioned: things like driver access control for the equipment is very important, so if an operator is not trained or authorised to drive a piece of equipment when they present their badge to start the vehicle it won’t start. This means no one is going to drive the equipment unauthorised within the airport.
Another area that we focus on is AI safety camera technology, so a new project that we have been working on includes getting better insights into how drivers are operating equipment not just through the telematics data you know – speed, harsh braking, etc – but also including insights around mobile phone use, drowsiness, fatigue, texting, distraction whilst driving, etc.
If we can improve drivers’ standard of behaviour whilst they are driving the equipment in real time and alert them if they are in a potentially hazardous situation, it goes a long way to reducing incidents on-airport and that’s important because obviously it’s a high-stress, very volatile environment.
We also provide back-up statistics, so building a better profile on drivers that we know companies need to focus on when they are looking to train. It’s not just if the equipment being driven too quickly: it’s if operators are nearing the end of their shift, do they feel fatigue, are they constantly drowsy, are they not paying attention?
Raja: Can I ask you how your telematics differentiate Transpoco from your competitors?
Davis: I think one of the main areas that we see progress in is around the integration of systems – pulling the data from vehicles is one thing, but it’s also what you do with that information.
There is great value in telematics data but [not] if its siloed, if it’s only sitting on a system. You’re going to get some good insights absolutely but at the end of the day if our system can talk to the management systems you’re using for the equipment or scheduling tools or procurement or human resources, can we provide better insights on what is happening in real time and align that with what is happening within other operations of the airport?
Raja: Do you offer a data solution where you manage the data and feed it back to the customers?
Davis: Yes absolutely. We offer a fully managed solution – it’s essentially ISO 27001 IT Security-certified. We manage the data [and provide] full API access for any relevant information that they may need in real time, so immediate decisions can be made if needed.
Raja: Does your system also offer an invoicing system for airports if you sell it to them for pooling GSE?
Davis: Yes, pooling GSE is a big thing; airports are getting crowded, so operating equipment efficiently and utilising the space that you have is critical. And, yes, airport pooling ties in with driver management, so you could have multiple clients using the same bit of equipment. If we know that it was ‘Jimmy’ from Swissport that used that tug or used that pushback for four hours on Tuesday, then we can bill that back to Swissport and provide that kind of insight in reporting.
Raja: Are you working with major ground handlers other than Iberia?
Davis: Not so much: like everyone we were focussing on a couple of key clients, getting them right. There is also some development work going on to improve the CANbus capabilities with some of the manufacturers, like Charlatte Manutention and TLD, so we pull insight from them.
In terms of carriers, Iberia and Aer Lingus would be the main two we are focussed on, but we are looking for any new business obviously.
