Improved reliability, safety and energy efficiency have been the focus of recent advances in airport automated passenger mover (APM) technology. rnStandards of performance and ride quality have been high ever since the first APM system was installed at Tampa airport in 1971 -key reasons why this mode of passenger transport has subsequently proved so popular (there are now 41 airport APM systems in operation worldwide). rn"Most recent advances [in APM design] have been technological in nature, particularly with automatic train control and microprocessing technology," says David Little, principal at APM transportation consulting firm Lea+Elliott. "Different propulsion and guidance technologies are beginning to appear, but although these advances ease maintenance, they have been mainly transparent to the users of APMs."
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