Evaluation of a Prototype Advanced Taxiway Guidance System (ATGS) 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Research, Airport Technology Research and Development

Branch, AAR-410 has designed, installed, and evaluated a prototype Advanced Taxiway Guidance System (ATGS) at the
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY). The principal feature of this prototype is automatically controllable taxiway
lighting, which is used to provide improved surface route guidance to taxiing aircraft. The system automatically illuminates a
specific taxiway route for each arrival and departure thus reducing the chances of an aircraft making a wrong turn. The system
is also designed to detect and provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) alarms for potential runway incursions, pilot route deviations,

and route conflicts between aircraft.

The prototype ATGS incorporates subsystems that are used to locate/identify aircraft and to automatically control and monitor
all of the taxiway lighting located within the test bed. A key objective in the evaluation of the ATGS was to determine
whether these subsystems could be successfully integrated. Another objective was to determine the effectiveness of the

system in improving safety in terms of reducing incorrect taxiing turns and runway incursions.

After evaluating the prototype ATGS during numerous test sessions, it was determined that these various subsystems could be
integrated into a single automated visual guidance system. Data collected from the evaluation indicate that implementation of
an ATGS would help improve airport safety by reducing incorrect taxiing turns and runway incursions, particularly in night

and/or low-visibility operations.

DOT/FAA/AR-TN00/9
Author: Eric S. Katz