xBridge

Testing and Deploying New Technologies to Drive Innovation for Smarter Airports

xBridge drives innovation at ACAA, developing and testing new technologies, processes and systems to positively impact revenues, operations, security, customer experience, and sustainability.

We develop new technologies in-house as well as partner with early-stage companies to meet current needs and support the new terminal slated to open in 2025.

The broad airport ecosystem enables innovations across many industries such as parking, logistics, retail, food and beverage, customer experience, security, sustainability, building management, and more.

The partnership between xBridge and startups is unique. Learn more below.

Work with xBridge

  • Work with a friendly early customer who knows startups
  • Design your paid pilot with us to meet your goals: validation, data collection, etc.
  • Test your tech across multiple markets and applications all in one place
  • Gain a wide audience: PIT is estimated to see 8 million passengers in 2023

Want to pilot your tech with us?

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    Tele-operated Semi-autonomous Fleet Management

    Mapless AI

    Mapless AI is currently conducting a Hitch Proof of Concept at PIT, wherein they are ferrying employees on-demand from parking lots to the terminal and back. Once the technology is fully vetted in the airport operating environment, Mapless AI will work with ACAA staff to determine and test broader business use cases. These could include VIP curbside pick-up/drop-off of rental vehicles at the airport, on-demand employee-use vehicles, on-demand carshare vehicles for travelers to provide off-hours transportation to their next destination, or fast-response vehicle allocation in cases when getting a vehicle to someone is time-critical.

    Utilizing Live Algae for Indoor Air Oxygenation

    AlgenAir

    AlgenAir has developed and built its first commercial-sized aerium for installation at Pittsburgh International Airport. The aerium harnesses the natural power of algae to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce oxygen (O2), combating indoor air pollution. This is possible because algae, like plants, use photosynthesis. In fact, algae are responsible for 60% of the world’s oxygen production.

    This aerium installation has the photosynthetic capacity of over 5,000 plants. The algae grown in this system is spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). It can be recycled in downstream applications such as composting, nutrition, pigments, bio plastics, biofuels, or to fertilize the plants you see around the airport! Buildings of tomorrow will use this technology to improve the air you breathe while conserving precious resources.

    Autonomous Food Delivery Robots

    Ottonomy

    Ottonomy has developed an autonomous delivery robot for food, beverages, and products. These robots first map a location, and the accompanying app is customized for the restaurants/stores in that environment. Customers can then use the app to dispatch the robot to a restaurant/store to pick up an order and bring it to the customer’s location.

    During Ottonomy’s Proof of Concept at PIT, passengers will be invited to use an app to order an item from a pre-defined menu. Ottonomy staff will load the ordered item into the robot, which will then travel autonomously to deliver the item to the customer, and back to its station.

    AI-Enabled Cameras for People-Counting, Unattended Baggage Detection and More

    Azena

    Azena has developed an “app store”-style platform that allows users to utilize third-party cameras to run any of its hundreds of developer-created applications, including everything from people counting and heat mapping to license plate reading to detecting falls to detecting unattended baggage. ACAA staff are testing various apps on third-party cameras in order to determine valuable use cases in the airport environment.