APU Monitoring System

Problem

All commercial jets use an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to provide power when the plane is parked at the gate. These systems produce substantial emissions and there are currently no systems in place to accurately monitor and regulate the usage of APUs at airport gates.

Approach

After completing secondary research, the team interviewed 11 experts in a field study at SEATAC airport. After developing their prototypes, they completed usability tests on front-end dashboards to tailor their product toward actual airport needs.

Solution

The team developed an edge device that monitors APU usage using various sensors and ML. Real-world tests showed their device was able to accurately determine APU usage 90% of the time.

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