Selecting the right field of view for an application is one of the most important decisions when designing a sensing solution. But it is only one consideration. Resolution, distance, point density, and the sensing technology itself—from LiDAR to cameras for biometric applications—also matter.
Different environments and use cases demand different sensing characteristics. Having a family of sensors built on a common architecture gives system designers valuable flexibility while maintaining a consistent software and integration framework.
From my experience implementing sensing technologies in large, complex environments such as airports, I’ve found that selecting the right sensor is only one part of the overall design process.
The conversation quickly expands beyond field of view to understanding the operational objectives, physical environment, supporting infrastructure, and ultimately who will use the data, for what purpose, and how that data will create measurable business value.
A few considerations we typically evaluate include:
1. Start With the Operational Outcome
Before selecting any hardware, define the business problem.
- What operational decision are we trying to improve?
- Who are the stakeholders?
- What systems will consume the data?
- What KPIs will define success?
- Is the objective safety, passenger flow, security, asset monitoring, operational efficiency, or planning?
Technology should support an operational outcome, not become the outcome itself.
This is particularly important when designing airport sensing solutions. The sensor is a means of creating better operational visibility and decision-making—not the end goal.
2. Design for the Physical Environment
Every space behaves differently.
Designing sensing solutions for airports means thinking in three dimensions, not simply reviewing a floor plan.
We evaluate:
- Ceiling heights and mounting opportunities
- Line of sight and sensor visibility
- Pillars, walls, glazing, glass, and other architectural features
- Passenger density and movement patterns
- Vehicles, obstructions, and equipment
- Future operational changes
- Overlapping coverage and redundancy for data quality
- Maintenance accessibility and ongoing program costs
A Motional Digital Twin or accurate 3D model of the environment can become one of the most valuable design tools before any hardware is purchased.
By understanding the physical environment spatially, teams can evaluate sensor placement, coverage, obstructions, and infrastructure requirements before committing to a deployment.
3. Infrastructure Matters
The sensing solution extends well beyond the sensor.
Successful airport sensor deployments require coordination with IT, OT, integrators, facilities teams, and other stakeholders to understand:
- Network architecture and segmentation
- Segmentation between security and enterprise networks
- Available switch capacity and bandwidth
- Edge computing versus centralized processing
- MDF and IDF locations
- Structured cabling distances
- Fiber versus copper
- PoE requirements, power budgets, surge protection, and UPS capacity
- Rack space and future expansion
Often, these infrastructure decisions have a greater impact on project cost than the sensors themselves—especially when requirements intersect with design and construction schedules, permitting, code compliance, environmental considerations, and other facility constraints.
The sensing architecture therefore needs to be considered as part of the broader operational and technology environment, not as an isolated hardware deployment.
4. Align With Enterprise Standards and Security
One area becoming increasingly important is aligning technology selection with enterprise procurement and cybersecurity requirements from the beginning.
Questions we routinely ask include:
- Does the organization have approved manufacturers or preferred vendors?
- Are there country-of-origin or supply-chain requirements?
- Will the solution comply with organizational cybersecurity policies?
- Can it operate within the owner’s IT and OT security architecture?
- How will firmware, software updates, and lifecycle support be managed?
- How do vendor-recommended hardware, VMware, and other technology requirements align with enterprise standards?
These conversations are much easier during planning than after procurement.
The goal is to buy once, deploy once, and support the solution for many years without unexpected compliance, integration, or security issues.
5. Choose the Right Sensing Technology for the Use Case
Whether a solution ultimately uses LiDAR, computer vision, radar, stereo vision, or a combination of sensing technologies, the decision should always be driven by the operational requirements and performance objectives.
No single sensing technology solves every problem.
The strongest solutions leverage the strengths of each technology where they provide the greatest value.
For airport environments in particular, that means evaluating the sensing requirement as part of the larger operational system: what needs to be detected, where it needs to be detected, how accurately and frequently the information is required, and what downstream systems and teams need to act on the resulting data.
6. Measure Success by Business Outcomes
At the end of the project, success isn’t measured by:
- Number of sensors installed
- Detection range
- Resolution
- Point-cloud density
- Flashy software interfaces
Success is measured by outcomes.
Can the organization demonstrate:
- Reduced passenger wait times?
- Increased throughput?
- Better staffing decisions?
- Improved safety?
- Enhanced passenger experience?
- Higher retail conversion?
- Lower operational costs?
- Better situational awareness?
- Faster, informed, and proactive decision-making?
- Improved simulation and forecasting of operational outcomes?
- Smarter planning?
These are the metrics executives can understand and measure.
The sensor enables those outcomes, but it is the overall sensing architecture, data integration, and operational workflow that ultimately deliver the return on investment.
As our industry continues moving toward AI-enabled operations and Motional Digital Twins, these conversations become even more important.
Selecting the right field of view is an excellent starting point, but delivering long-term value requires looking beyond the hardware to the people, processes, infrastructure, integrations, and operational objectives that define project success.
For airports and other complex infrastructure environments, the objective should never be simply to deploy more technology. It should be to design sensing solutions that provide the right information, to the right systems and people, at the right time—so the organization can achieve measurable business outcomes.
Author: Kelly Watt
Co-Founder, Digital Twin Consulting
Ambassador, Digital Twin Consortium Transportation & Mobility Working Group
Related Reading
- How Motional Digital Twins Improve Flow, Efficiency and Non-Aero Performance in Airports
- AI in Airports: A Good First Look—and What Comes Next
- Digital Twin Value Overview and Use Cases for Airport Operations — Digital Twin Consortium
- Interoperable Digital Twins for Multimodal Transport Networks — Digital Twin Consortium