SafeDock A-VDGS

The SafeDock A-VDGS (Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System) is an active gate-guidance platform that uses a proprietary combination of infrared laser ranging and three-dimensional volumetric scanning to capture, identify, and track an inbound aircraft from the moment it enters the gate approach corridor. Unlike passive camera-based VDGS units, the laser-scanner sweeps the gate volume both vertically and horizontally, measuring nose-profile geometry on both sides of the centreline to discriminate between aircraft types and subtypes — including distinguishing freighter versus passenger configurations of the same narrowbody. A large, high-resolution full-colour LED display mounted at the gate centreline presents azimuth deviation, distance-to-stop, and a vertical distance bar to the flight crew, transitioning to a numeric countdown from approximately 15 metres to the stop point. The display doubles as a Ramp Information Display System (RIDS), surfacing flight data and apron messaging to ground crews. Integration with SafeControl Apron Management software — and through it with the airport AODB and airline systems — enables automated gate activation keyed to inbound flight data, adjacent-gate conflict rules, and scheduled aircraft type verification. Object-detection capability identifies ground-level obstructions as small as 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm on the apron, triggering alerts before the aircraft reaches them. The system is deployed across international hub and regional airports on six continents. In the GCC and wider Middle East it has been selected for King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh) and the new Red Sea International Airport (Saudi Vision 2030). The platform suits any operation that requires reliable precision docking across wide variations in ambient light, fog, rain, and dust — conditions directly relevant to Gulf apron environments.