London Heathrow Airport is set to be the subject of a U.K. Power Networks Services investigation into the creation of remote offsite access for the control and monitoring of its electricity distribution network that meets the airport’s high level security requirements, and allows staff to control the electricity network when access to the airport is restricted.
Funding for the project was awarded by government entity Innovate U.K. in response to Heathrow Airport’s need for social distancing measures amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst ensuring power supplies remain safe and reliable.
‘Mixed reality’ technologies will be assessed, including the use of geo-fencing – a cyber-perimeter that ensures the network remains highly secure in the virtual world. Biometric scanning, such as facial recognition, will also be tested to provide further checks of authentication and authorization, in addition to conventional technologies.