ATC Simulation company wins Queen’s Award for Innovation

Micro Nav Limited, formed in 1988 and based in Bournemouth, has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category. This is the second time Micro Nav, a leading specialist company developing and supplying air traffic control and air defence simulators and training systems, has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Micro Nav has received the Innovation Award for its Automatic Display Alignment System (ADAS) used in 3D air traffic control simulators and training systems. These simulators rely on the use of multiple projectors to present a simulated view that would be seen from a control tower at an airport. Historically, setting up and maintaining the calibration of multiple projector arrays has been achieved manually by skilled specialist engineers.

ADAS uses an array of high resolution digital cameras together with light emitting diodes embedded in the display screen to automatically perform a geometric alignment of each of the projected images. This means that all of the projected images will align with the screen and each other. The system also automatically adjusts the colour and brightness so that all the images appear to be a single large image. Micro Nav has been granted a patent for this display systems innovation by the UK Intellectual Property Office.

In 2010, Micro Nav won the Queen’s Award for International Trade, following the trebling of the company’s exports over three years. Its main export areas have been in Europe, the Middle East and Asia; and additionally more recently in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Managing Director, Stephen Williams said, “We are delighted to receive our second Queen’s Award. This award for Innovation reflects the high-calibre staff within Micro Nav and the on-going investment that Micro Nav has made in its products to ensure that its customers are able to deliver high-quality training in the most efficient way. In a very competitive market-place the prestige of the Queen’s Award will help us secure further business in our chosen markets”.

A recent customer of Micro Nav’s, Papua New Guinea Air Services Limited, installed Micro Nav’s BEST solution incorporating a 240 degree curved projected display system enabled with ADAS. Capt Ted Pakii, CEO of PNG Air Services, said, “the 240 degree, 3D Tower Simulator supplied by Micro Nav has given PNG Air Services a significant boost in our training capability and capacity. We are now able to train our Tower Controllers in-country, reducing costs related to training our people overseas. The projection alignment system relieves our technicians from having to conduct manual adjustments to the system which in turn improves system availability.”

Dubai Scene on Micro Nav 3 Projector view of a 3DTower using ADAS