Map Publication Gates for Airside Hygiene
Last updated: 2026-05-09
Airside map publication must combine map quality, operational approval, safety evidence, and rollout control. The goal is to prevent stale maps, over-cleaned maps, hidden FOD, and temporary assets from reaching vehicles as if they were permanent ground truth.
Release States
| State | Meaning | Allowed use |
|---|---|---|
| draft | candidate map or overlay under construction | offline validation only |
| validation | automated and human checks running | replay, simulation, non-operational vehicle |
| quarantined | unresolved safety or evidence issue | not deployable |
| canary | signed release to limited zone/cohort | monitored operation inside approved envelope |
| active | production map for approved vehicles/routes | normal dispatch |
| rolled_back | superseded due to issue | incident/replay only |
| retired | no vehicle may use it | archive and legal hold as needed |
Publication Gate Table
| Gate | Evidence | Required approver |
|---|---|---|
| source provenance | raw logs, survey dates, calibration, control points, coordinate frame | map owner |
| hygiene validation | dynamic rejection, static preservation, FOD retention, unknown/quarantine report | V&V lead |
| semantic integrity | Lanelet2/vector validation, route reachability, geofence, speed/no-go overlays | autonomy lead |
| operational fit | stand/route availability, closure/work-zone status, sponsor constraints | airport ops |
| safety case delta | hazard impact, residual risk, FAA AGVS/test-plan trace if applicable | safety lead |
| deployment readiness | signed bundle, compatible vehicle/software, rollback cache, canary monitors | fleet ops |
| post-release review | monitoring window, interventions, map disagreements, FOD tickets | release manager |
Map Hygiene Checks
| Check | Pass signal | Blocker |
|---|---|---|
| dynamic object removal | ghost rate below zone threshold | aircraft/GSE ghosts in localization layer |
| static preservation | no unresolved deletion of safety-critical assets | eroded stand marking, curb, pole, or boundary |
| FOD retention | FOD-like candidates retained as hazard/review evidence | small hazard deleted as noise |
| movable-static policy | temporary assets published only as overlays | cone/barrier/GSE promoted without approval |
| sparse LiDAR handling | weak evidence marked unknown or reviewed | unobserved area marked free |
| localization replay | NDT/ICP health neutral or improved | residual, covariance, or recovery regression |
Release Checklist
- Bundle point-cloud, semantic, projection, overlay, and validation artifacts atomically.
- Include map ID and active layer IDs in every vehicle mission log.
- Sign the bundle and record compatible software, sensor, and model versions.
- Confirm rollback bundle availability before canary deployment.
- Canary by zone, route, stand, and vehicle cohort, not by percentage alone.
- Monitor localization, route failures, map disagreement, FOD tickets, and interventions.
- Promote only after the monitoring window covers relevant conditions such as shift handover, night, rain, or busy stand operations.
- Retire superseded bundles only after all vehicles report leaving the old version.
Operational Overrides
| Override | Rule |
|---|---|
| emergency no-go | fast publish allowed; post-change review within one business day |
| temporary work zone | owner, reason, expiry, and briefing required |
| FOD hazard | hazard alert can block route without permanent map edit |
| construction change | quarantine affected tile until source evidence and route checks pass |
| airport sponsor restriction | override map route availability immediately |
Sources
- FAA AGVS on Airports: https://www.faa.gov/airports/new_entrants/agvs_on_airports
- FAA Part 139 CertAlert 24-02: https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/certalerts/part_139_certalert_24_02
- FAA Emerging Entrants Bulletin 25-02: https://www.faa.gov/airports/new_entrants/bulletins/25_02
- FAA Foreign Object Debris Program: https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/fod
- Autoware map component design: https://autowarefoundation.github.io/autoware-documentation/main/design/autoware-architecture/map/
- Autoware map loader: https://autowarefoundation.github.io/autoware_core/latest/map/autoware_map_loader/
- Local context: hd-map-lifecycle-operations.md
- Local context: movable-static-asset-lifecycle-policy.md