Katowice Airport with PK KUT University Support: Technologies for Infrastructure Safety and Passenger Comfort
PK Krakow University of Technology is commencing scientific and didactic cooperation with Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice. This collaboration will serve, among other things, to strengthen the reliability and safety of the Silesian airport’s infrastructure. Thanks to the recently signed agreement, PK students gain the opportunity to undertake unique internships and apprenticeships. The letter of intent for cooperation was signed by the Rector of the University, Professor Andrzej Szarata, and Artur Tomasik, President of the Management Board of Upper Silesian Aviation Group, the operator of Katowice Airport.
The PK Krakow University of Technology is one of Poland’s leading expert centers in the field of transport. “This is one of our priority areas for research and training of engineering staff. We specialize, among other things, in the planning, design, and modernization of transport infrastructure. We participate in numerous projects concerning safety, logistics, new technologies, environmental protection, and transport management, including aviation. We offer our new partner the knowledge and practical experience of our experts, as well as access to modern research infrastructure,” says PK Rector Professor Andrzej Szarata.
“I am convinced that combining our practical operational and business knowledge with the expert scientific background of the PK KUT will yield tangible results,” says President Artur Tomasik. “I thank Rector Andrzej Szarata for establishing very concrete frameworks for our partnership. On the infrastructure of Katowice Airport, specialists from the University will, among other things, test modern solutions based on LiDAR technology. These will be used to monitor the condition of airport pavements and prevent the presence of foreign objects on the runway.”
Research crucial to airport traffic safety
Research aimed at developing solutions that can be implemented in real airport applications has already begun in Pyrzowice by a team of scientists from the Department of Transport Systems and Logistics and the Doctoral School of the PK KUT.“We have already conducted research at the airport, which focused on two issues: detecting FOD (Foreign Object Debris) using modern technologies, and the possibilities of assessing the quality of runway pavements using video recordings and artificial intelligence algorithms,” informs Dr. Eng. Anton Pashkevich, who leads the research.
Such research serves, among other things, to assess the suitability of LiDAR technology for detecting FOD on runways, taxiways, and aprons. It will evaluate aspects such as detection effectiveness, accuracy of object localization, the possibility of automating the FOD detection process, and the implementation potential of the solution proposed to Katowice Airport by PK experts.
“We have also started research in Pyrzowice concerning the perception of passenger terminal signage. Our goal is to better understand how passengers perceive and interpret signage in the terminal. We hope that the research results will help identify areas requiring improvement and will be valuable support in the further development of infrastructure and enhancement of passenger experience,” says Dr. Anton Pashkevich.
An interesting solution for securing airport infrastructure for Pyrzowice may also be the technology of polymer flexible joints developed and refined at the University of Technology (already tested, among others, at Balice Airport). The task of these innovative joints is to transfer loads under large deformations, which effectively reduces stresses in brittle materials and increases the strength of the entire renovated structure. The invention by Professor Arkadiusz Kwiecień’s team from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at PK is used, among other things, to prevent deformations of structures exposed to, for example, traffic damage (including mining, seismic, or landslide damage).
A wide range of scientific and teaching collaboration
The cooperation between the University of Technology and Katowice Airport includes the implementation of joint research, development, and testing work, participation in joint implementation projects, expert support from university specialists in the form of industry consultations and advisory studies, and ongoing exchange of knowledge and experience using mutual infrastructure.
Students of the PK Krakow University of Technology will be able to undertake internships and apprenticeships in Pyrzowice and complete diploma theses based on real problems from airport practice. The university educates engineers in numerous fields and specializations corresponding to the scope of Katowice Airport’s operations. It will be particularly valuable for students of transport and logistics, civil engineering, mechanics and machine building, and safety engineering to learn about the realities of operating a modern airport. “Direct access to data, specialists, and real engineering tasks during internships and the completion of engineering and master’s theses will add market value to the diplomas of our graduates,” emphasizes Rector Andrzej Szarata.
The first diploma theses, with the support of specialists from the Silesian airport, are already being developed.(m)
Photos by Katowice Airport and Anton Pashkevich’s archive
