Aurrigo International plc has been awarded £1.43m in UK government funding to evaluate how driverless technology can enhance airside airport safety and operations. The grant, awarded under the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade’s CAM Pathfinder scheme delivered in partnership with Zenzic and Innovate UK, will fund the development of Aurrigo’s new ‘SENTRY’ project. Under the initiative, Coventry-headquartered Aurrigo will deploy its autonomous Auto-Shuttle vehicles to perform routine airside inspection tasks, including security patrols, routine perimeter inspections and counting birds and encouraging them to move somewhere safer. The project will leverage research expertise from the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick, regulatory oversight from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and operational testing facilities at Teesside International Airport. Trials will also extend to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in the US. Aurrigo already deploys autonomous luggage and cargo transport vehicles, including its Auto-DollyTug and Auto-Cargo platforms, across eight international airports. Simon Brewerton, chief technology officer at Aurrigo International, said SENTRY will investigate whether some of that work could be done by small autonomous vehicles that navigate on their own, following rules agreed in advance with air traffic control. Mark Cracknell, programme director at Zenzic, said the announcement builds on progress made by CAM Pathfinder and puts the UK firmly in the driving seat for developing and deploying CAM solutions.