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Pittsburgh International Airport, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Partner To Form Aviation Innovation Laboratory

and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø are enhancing traveler experiences and airport operations through a partnership to develop new systems and technologies for the aviation industry.

Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø President Farnam Jahanian signed a Memorandum of Understanding today that will allow faculty and students from ºÚÁÏÉçÇø's Metro21: Smart Cities Institute to research, develop and deploy several innovative projects throughout the airport.

"As county executive, and an alumnus of ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, I'm excited about this partnership and look forward to what will be developed through this collaboration," said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "Innovation is in our DNA in this region and for our airport to reflect the community it serves, it also needs to be part of the airport. Knowing the vision that Christina Cassotis has for our airport, and the ingenuity that President Jahanian brings to ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, I expect to see great things as these two and their organizations work together."

"Pittsburgh International Airport plays a critical role in our economy and shares our vision for making the Pittsburgh region a model for communities across the world. This agreement will help our Metro21 Institute to continue and expand data-driven projects in a real-world setting," Jahanian said. "With strengths at the nexus of technology and humanity, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø is uniquely positioned to collaborate with aviation industry experts to optimize and enhance experiences for travelers and workers."

"ºÚÁÏÉçÇø is a world-class organization and a leader in innovation and technology that has helped fuel the Pittsburgh region's growth as a tech giant," Cassotis said. "We want the airport to be reflective of that same tech economy that's revolutionizing our region. This partnership with ºÚÁÏÉçÇø will allow the airport and the traveling public to be at the forefront of that innovation."

ºÚÁÏÉçÇø and Pittsburgh International Airport have been working together for three years on a variety of projects, several of which focus on access and inclusion. The following projects are representative of the types of work the new partnership will support:

• Researchers from ºÚÁÏÉçÇø's Traffic21 Institute developed a mobile application that identifies and guides drivers to empty parking spots located closest to terminal entryways, making long-term parking more convenient. A video demonstration of the application is available at .

• Pittsburgh International Airport and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø's have partnered on a series of student capstone projects, the fifth of which will be completed this semester. Teams have been investigating how to better understand the flow patterns of airport travelers, including improving the experience for travelers with reduced mobility. Capstone projects will continue to systematically explore and identify topics for funded research.

• ºÚÁÏÉçÇø's has been developing and testing NavCog, a smartphone-based navigation system to help people with visual impairments navigate through the airport. The system provides step-by-step directions using Bluetooth Low Energy beacons throughout the airport.