While many might now associate Garmin with fitness trackers and smartwatches, back in the day, Garmin was probably best known for their navigation systems. It looks like the company is revisiting its roots, although in this particular case, it won’t be a navigation system that you might be able to buy.
The company has taken the wraps off the Garmin Autoland, a navigation system designed for small planes. Now, this system is more than just about helping planes find their destination, instead, it seems that this system can actually help planes land at a press of a button, making the entire process a lot more simple.
But isn’t that what pilots train for? To land planes? While that is true, this system seems to have been created as more of an emergency system, where in the event the pilot might not be able to land the plane, passengers just need to press the button and the plane will land itself. The system will take into account all kinds of variables, such as weather, how much fuel is left, runway surface, length, and any obstacles that might be in the way.
It will also be capable of alerting Air Traffic Control to let them know that there is an emergency and that they should clear the area and make sure that there emergency personnel on the ground to help.