Monster - Airport Lighting Management System Based on IoT

Order Group has partnered with AP-TECH to develop "Monster", a high-precision, customizable lighting management system for airports in western Poland. The goal of this project was to enable air traffic controllers to manually adjust the direction and brightness of each airport light, increasing operational efficiency and safety.

The main challenge was to create a complex system that would allow precise control of the airport's lighting. The system had to be highly reliable and adaptable to the specific needs of each controller, ensuring optimal visibility and safety in a variety of operating conditions.

We integrated each light's controller with a separate Internet of Things (IoT) module, enabling management and monitoring from multiple workstations. The dashboard we built with Django gave controllers real-time information about battery levels, power supplies, connectivity, and the status of UPS devices.

The custom development included a role-based hierarchy within the software to comply with air traffic control procedures. This feature enabled different user groups to receive customized notifications and manage functionalities efficiently. For example, while the control tower staff received basic alerts such as "low temperature", the technical team received detailed reports and immediate action tasks.

The extended analysis we did during the planning stage paid off. Using a mix of technologies such as Python, Go-Lang, Apache Kafka and others, we designed a versatile system that can scale and be adapted to other airports.

The Monster system replaced outdated legacy software at the airport, a significant upgrade in technology and functionality. The implementation showed that we can deliver complex, tailored solutions that significantly improve airport operations and security, and it strengthened our partnership with AP-TECH.