Originally Posted by
BAengineer
So how does the pilot on the flight deck control the steering on the tug?.
The same way the pilot controls steering when the aircraft is taxying - with the tiller. The TaxiBot detects steering forces on the nosewheel and turns the tug accordingly.
And I am still not clear what the benefits are of this system - replacing the tug driver with the pilot steering the tug gains what?. The tug driver is still there the cab and the tug driver does the pushback so what do you achieve by allowing the pilot to drive in a straight line rather than the tug driver.
Think of it as being at about the same stage of development as autonomous cars, which are only just emerging from the stage of needing a safety driver. The two main issues, neither insurmountable, which currently prevent a driverless TaxiBot are visibility in the pushback phase and the reluctance of airport authorities to allow the tug to return to base autonomously after releasing the towed aircraft at the runway.