ThorDrive lands in Cincinnati, develops first airport partnership to retrofit autonomous technology to support vehicles
Today, ThorDrive and CVG demonstrated the proof-of-concept technology
Erlanger, Ky. (November 19, 2020) –
As another first for CVG, ThorDrive (headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio), is bringing autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to the airport’s campus. Through a recently enacted airport ordinance, autonomous vehicles and equipment can now operate on airport property.
The airport is positioning itself for the future by leaning into AV and other related technologies. This strategy enables trials of the technology in a live operating environment. By advancing AV technology, CVG has the added benefit of modeling for communities given its city-like infrastructure. The long-term benefits of AV include operational efficiencies and safety.
ThorDrive began in Seoul, South Korea and entered the U.S. market in Silicon Valley. In 2019, it established its North American headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. ThorDrive is now invested in the region, contributing to workforce talent and advancement in transportation.
“ThorDrive is a great innovation partner,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Like our other startup, university, and corporate partners, ThorDrive injects talent, technology and economic growth into our campus and region to ensure CVG remains agile and well positioned as a leader in the airport industry.”
“We are very pleased to be a partner as another CVG first mover,” said Dr. Seung-Woo Seo, Founder and Chairman of the Board of ThorDrive. Seo further added: “Together, ThorDrive and CVG will continue the airport’s stewardship to foster meaningful innovations. The catalyst of our growth and the development of our technology was a combination of talent available from local universities as well as the unwavering support from CVG.”
Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System
Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way.
In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.
This white paper discusses the hardware deployed, the test results and the annualized expectations for ROI.