Virtual and Remote Control Tower / Research Topics in Aerospace (PDF)

Dr. phil.-nat. Norbert
Fürstenau, Dipl. Physiker, studied
physics from 1971 to 1978 at Universities of Braunschweig, Darmstadt and
Frankfurt. In 1977 he received the Diplom Physiker degree from the Inst. of Nuclear Physics of TU-Darmstadt and in 1981
the Dr. phil.-nat. degree from Frankfurt University for research on Laser
applications in Biophysics. In his dissertation he investigated the generation
of large molecular clusters (predecessors of Carbon Buckeyballs) through Laser evaporation
in a micro mass analyser, and his interest started in the emerging topic of
complex systems and Synergetics. After a short period as a post-doc researcher
including teaching tasks at the Institute of Medical Physics / Biophysics, he accepted
a permanent position at the DLR Inst. of Flight Guidance in Braunschweig in 1981.
Starting with research in inertial navigation and Laser gyro technology, he initialized
in 1984 the Fiber Optic Sensors research as group leader at the Department of Inertial
Navigation / Measurement Technologies. The main focus was directed to fiber
optics based interferometric micro sensors and methods for structural
monitoring (so called fiber optic smart structures). During these years numerous research visits
and international cooperations with laboratories in Canada, Korea, and
Russia resulted in a large number of
conference and journal publications.



After the
research focus of the Inst. of Fligt Guidance had turned more and more away
from aircraft towards air traffic, the research in measurement technologies
gradually ended and in 1999 the editor joined the Human Factors Department where
he started the "Virtual Tower" concept study (2002-2004), after winning a first
prize within DLR's first "Visionary Projects" competition, endowed with an initial
research grant. He was project leader of DLR's "Remote Airport Tower Operations"
projects RApTOR (2005-2007) and RAiCe (Remote Airport Traffic Control Center,
2008-2012). In