Piezoelectric sensors for taxiway airport traffic control system

This paper reviews the operation principles of piezoelectric sensors for airport surface movement control. Using an array of sensors, it enables the detection of moving objects as well as their classification according to their tire configurations, velocity, and direction of movement. Preliminary experimental results using thin film piezoelectric sensors confirm the predicted operation characteristics and show the applicability of piezoelectric sensors for monitoring airport surface movement. A preliminary version using piezoresistive thin film sensors has been presented and published [1]. This paper also provides an approach to eliminate the insensitive zone and reveals more insights on feasible design.