Munich Airport: Computer Vision turns cameras into a smart control system
47 million passengers a year, thousands of whom rely on wheelchairs: Axulus Reply delivered an AI-based solution that tracks where one is available in real time.
#computervision
#mobility
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The scenario
Existing infrastructure, untapped potential
Cameras are standard equipment in large facilities: they monitor, they record, and their footage gets reviewed after an incident occurs. But they rarely add real-time value to daily operations. Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest hub, faced the exact same issue. Hundreds of cameras were already active across the terminals, yet their video feeds remained an unexploited resource offering no way to turn visual data into immediate, actionable insights.
The solution
Adding smart intelligence to legacy infrastructur
Axulus Reply unlocked the hidden potential of the airport’s existing camera network. The team deployed the “Vision Detection Agent”, a computer vision-based solution from Reply’s Prebuilt AI Apps portfolio. Custom-tailored to the airport’s specific needs, the production-ready system was up and running in just a few weeks. It systematically analyzes live feeds to give staff precise, data-driven control over airport operations.
In action
Mobile support, right where it matters
Munich Airport serves around 47 million travelers annually, thousands of whom require mobility assistance. Getting a wheelchair to a passenger quickly isn’t just about delivering great service, it’s a strict EU regulatory mandate. Thanks to Axulus Reply’s Computer Vision technology, this process is now noticeably faster and far easier for airport staff. Instead of hunting through different depots and terminals for a chair, employees simply check the app. The system flags potential shortages early, allowing teams to redistribute equipment long before passenger delays can occur.
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"In the past, we estimated availability. Today, we see it live. This has transformed not only how we coordinate operations, but also the way our team works: we no longer react – we manage proactively."
Nikolai Bolte
IT Programme Manager & Senior Project Manager
at Munich Airport (FMG)
The impact
A scalable foundation built
for more than just one job
For Munich Airport, wheelchair tracking is just the proof of concept. The underlying architecture was built to scale across countless operational blind spots - whether that’s counting baggage carts at Exit B or monitoring crowd density at Gate C12. The cameras and network infrastructure are already in place; expanding the system is simply a matter of training the software on new targets. Future use cases in critical areas such as security screening are also conceivable.
As one of Europe’s premier aviation hubs, Munich Airport offers excellent connections to destinations around the globe. It is routinely ranked among the best airports in Europe by the renowned London-based Skytrax Institute and was the first on the continent to earn the coveted "5-Star Airport" quality seal. Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), founded in 1949, has been operating the airport at its current location since 1992. FMG is jointly owned by the Free State of Bavaria (51%), the Federal Republic of Germany (26%), and the City of Munich (23%). Today, the airport campus is home to more than 450 companies employing over 33,000 people.
Axulus Reply is the Reply Group company focused on providing innovative technology-based solutions based on Industrie 4.0 and IIOT to quickly generate sustainable added value for customers across complex supply and value chains. Axulus Reply specialises in the entire value chain of Engineering Manufacturing/IoT and Supply Chain Execution (SCE). The company focuses on scalable, modular Industrie 4.0 solutions and helps its customers achieve maximum efficiency through comprehensive consulting and technologies.