Engineering Commons^™

The Future Of Flying: An Exploration Of New Aircraft Design And Energy Required To Support Advanced Air Mobility – Part 1, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Lecture exploring new aircraft design and energy required to support advanced air mobility.

A Benchmark Knowledge Graph Of Driving Scenes For Knowledge Completion Tasks, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

Knowledge graph completion (KGC) is a problem of significant importance due to the inherent incompleteness in knowledge graphs (KGs). The current approaches for KGC using link prediction (LP) mostly rely on a common set of benchmark datasets that are quite different from real-world industrial KGs. Therefore, the adaptability of current LP methods for real-world KGs and domain-specific ap- plications is questionable. To support the evaluation of current and future LP and KGC methods for industrial KGs, we introduce DSceneKG, a suite of real-world driving scene knowledge graphs that are currently being used across various industrial applications. The DSceneKG is publicly …

Ontology Design Metapattern For Relationtype Role Composition, Utkarshani Jaimini, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

RelationType is a metapattern that specifies a property in a knowledge graph that directly links the head of a triple with the type of the tail. This metapattern is useful for knowledge graph link prediction tasks, specifically when one wants to predict the type of a linked entity rather than the entity instance itself. The RelationType metapattern serves as a template for future extensions of an ontology with more fine-grained domain information.

Visual Causal Question And Answering With Knowledge Graph Link Prediction, Utkarshani Jaimini, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

The ability to answer causal questions is important for any system that requires robust scene under- standing. In this demonstration, we develop a prototype system that leverages our causal link prediction framework, CausalLP. CausalLP framework uses a visual causal knowledge graph and associated knowledge graph embedding for two visual causal question and answering tasks- (i) causal explanation and (ii) causal prediction. In the live demonstration sessions, the participants will be invited to test the efficiency and effectiveness of the system for visual causal question and answering.

Causal Neuro-Symbolic Ai For Root Cause Analysis In Smart Manufacturing, Utkarshani Jaimini, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

Root cause analysis is the process of investigating the cause of a failure and providing measures to prevent future failures. It is an active area of research due to the complexities in manufacturing production lines and the vast amount of data that requires manual inspection. We present a combined approach of causal neuro-symbolic AI for root cause analysis to identify failures in smart manufacturing production lines. We have used data from an industry-grade rocket assembly line and a simulation package to demonstrate the effectiveness and relevance of our approach.

Causal Knowledge Graph For Scene Understanding In Autonomous Driving, Utkarshani Jaimini, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

The current approaches to autonomous driving focus on learning from observation or simulated data. These approaches are based on correlations rather than causation. For safety-critical applications, like autonomous driving, it’s important to represent causal dependencies among variables in addition to the domain knowledge expressed in a knowledge graph. This will allow for a better understanding of causation during scenarios that have not been observed, such as malfunctions or accidents. The causal knowledge graph, coupled with domain knowledge, demonstrates how autonomous driving scenes can be represented, learned, and explained using counterfactual and intervention reasoning to infer and understand the behavior of …

Investigating Retention Solutions For Women In Aviation Education And Flight Training, Jorge L.D. Albelo, Samantha Bowyer, Michael E. Wiggins

Publications

Despite advancements, women remain underrepresented in the aviation industry, particularly in pilot roles. Addressing this disparity, a university initiated the Women’s Ambassador Mentoring Program (WAMP) to enhance the recruitment and retention of female aviation students pursuing an aeronautical science degree. Concerns persist about insufficient support systems hindering progress. This study employs a transformative mixed methodology, utilizing both publicly available quantitative data and qualitative insights from program-involved students. The research assesses the growth in female aviation students compared to certified pilots, examining the university's enrollment and retention of female students over time. Emphasizing the necessity of a supportive culture, the study …

Advanced Air Mobility (Aam) Is Coming To A Town Near You...Are You Ready?, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

This briefing provides a high and low altitude view of what is coming in the way of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation. It is meant for county, town, or city officials; tribal governments; local businesspersons; airport, heliport, Fixed Base Operator (FBO), flight schools’ owners/operators; and other individuals; who wish to capitalize on, and prepare for, a US industry expected to hit around USD 68 Billion by 2032. Is your community or organization prepared for this new economy? Are your customers, or constituents accepting of these new technologies? Are you ready to capitalize on this AAM market and all the growth …

Pig Butchering In Cybersecurity: A Modern Social Engineering Threat, Sharon L. Burton, Pamela D. Moore

Publications

Pig butchering is an escalating cybersecurity threat that exploits social engineering to build trust and execute financial fraud. The relevance of this research problem lies in the growing incidence and sophistication of these scams, which have severe financial and psychological impacts on victims. The main purpose of this research is to uncover the methods used in pig butchering scams and their impact on individuals and businesses. The research focuses on digital platforms such as social media, dating apps, and professional networking sites, chosen for their wide user bases and the ease of establishing personal connections. The study period encompasses recent …

Assessing Safety Culture: Lessons From The Aviation Industry, Mirrette Gendi, Cheri L. Marcham, Michael O'Toole

Publications

SAFETY CULTURE has been a topic of debate in academia as much as it has been in the practice of various industries (Zohar, 2010). Although the concept and definition of safety culture and what it entails have consumed much of the debate, the assessment of safety culture has been the most controversial. Yet, on the academic level, the topic of monitoring and measuring safety culture has seen limited research that offers reliable and valid assessment tools (Goodheart & Smith, 2014), especially when compared to the importance of safety culture as a component of a safety management system (SMS).

Design Frameworks For Ventilative Cooling: Perceptions From Building Design Practitioners In Ireland And The United Kingdom, Maha Sohail, Adam O'Donovan, Paul D. O'Sullivan

Publications

The global increase in building cooling demands poses a challenge for designers striving for net zero energy consumption. The prevalent use of mechanical cooling underscores the necessity for designers to consider Ventilative Cooling as a viable alternative in the early stages of building design. This paper presents findings from an exploratory survey and semi-structured interviews of industry experts in Ireland and the United Kingdom about their design processes and experienced-based approaches to designing Ventilative Cooling. The findings suggest that the pre-design stage has the same influence for promoting ventilative cooling strategies as the schematic and detailed design stages for practitioners, …

Advanced Air Mobility (Aam) Is Coming To A Town Near You...Are You Ready?, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

This briefing provides a high and low altitude view of what is coming in the way of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation. It is meant for county, town, or city officials; tribal governments; local businesspersons; airport, heliport, Fixed Base Operator (FBO), flight schools’ owners/operators; and other individuals; who wish to capitalize on, and prepare for, a US industry expected to hit around USD 68 Billion by 2032. Is your community or organization prepared for this new economy? Are your customers, or constituents accepting of these new technologies? Are you ready to capitalize on this AAM market and all the growth …

Healthcare Assistance Challenges-Driven Neurosymbolic Ai, Kaushik Roy

Publications

Although Artificial Intelligence technology has proven effective in providing healthcare assistance by analyzing health data, it still falls short in supporting decision-making. This deficiency largely stems from the predominance of opaque neural networks, particularly in mental health care AI applications, which raise concerns about their unpredictable and unverifiable nature. This skepticism hinders the transition from information support to decision support. This presentation will explore neurosymbolic approaches that combine neural networks with symbolic control and verification mechanisms. These approaches aim to unlock AI’s full potential by enhancing information analysis and decision-making support for healthcare assistance.

Is Declined Cognitive Function Predictive For Fatal Accidents Involving Aging Pilots?, Douglas D. Boyd, Alan J. Stolzer

Publications

Civil aviation comprises airlines/charters and general aviation (GA). Currently, airlines are experiencing a pilot shortage, partly reflecting scheduled retirements mandatory for airline (but not GA) pilots aged 65 years, fueling a debate as to whether the retirement age should be increased. Herein, using 16–40 years-of-age aviators as a reference, we determined whether GA pilots aged 60+ years (i) incurred an elevated accident rate, employing, for the first time, age-tiered flight time as a measure of risk exposure and (ii) carried an excess risk for cognitive deficiency-related fatal accidents. Methods. Airplane accidents (2002–2016) involving Class 3 medical certificated pilots were per …

Evaluating The Role Of Data Enrichment Approaches Towards Rare Event Analysis In Manufacturing, Chathurangi Shyalika, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Fadi El Kalach, Ramy Harik, Amit P. Sheth

Publications

Rare events are occurrences that take place with a significantly lower frequency than more common, regular events. These events can be categorized into distinct categories, from frequently rare to extremely rare, based on factors like the distribution of data and significant differences in rarity levels. In manufacturing domains, predicting such events is particularly important, as they lead to unplanned downtime, a shortening of equipment lifespans, and high energy consumption. Usually, the rarity of events is inversely correlated with the maturity of a manufacturing industry. Typically, the rarity of events affects the multivariate data generated within a manufacturing process to be …

Vertiport Ventures: Assessing Operational Feasibility For Evtol Integration In São Paulo’S Helipad And Heliport Infrastructure, Peter E. O'Reilly, Ramy A. Rahimi, Jorge Luiz Rosa Marques, Marco Aurélio Feitosa De A. L. Babadopulos1

Publications

The objective of this study is to assess the operational viability of introducing Electric Vertical Take-Of and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles in São Paulo and its metropolitan area, utilizing existing helipads and helicopter infrastructure. eVTOL aircraft, capable of vertical take-of and landing like helicopters, difer from traditional helicopters in their propulsion systems, with eVTOLs typically featuring multiple smaller electric motor-driven propulsion units instead of internal combustion engines and mechanical transmissions (Schuchardt et al. 2023). The study specifcally targets eVTOLs with the capacity to transport a minimum of four passengers and one pilot for distances of at least 50 km. Appendix provides …

Cognitive Manufacturing: Definition And Current Trends, Fadi El Kalach, Ibrahim Yousif, Thorsten Wuest, Amit Sheth, Ramy Harik

Publications

Manufacturing systems have recently witnessed a shift from the widely adopted automated systems seen throughout industry. The evolution of Industry 4.0 or Smart Manufacturing has led to the introduction of more autonomous systems focused on fault tolerant and customized production. These systems are required to utilize multimodal data such as machine status, sensory data, and domain knowledge for complex decision making processes. This level of intelligence can allow manufacturing systems to keep up with the ever-changing markets and intricate supply chain. Current manufacturing lines lack these capabilities and fall short of utilizing all generated data. This paper delves into the …

Ri2ap: Robust And Interpretable 2d Anomaly Prediction In Assembly Pipelines, Chathurangi Shyalika, Kaushik Roy, Renjith Prasad, Fadi El Kalach, Yuxin Zi, Priya Mittal, Vignesh Narayanan, Ramy Harik, Amit Sheth

Publications

Predicting anomalies in manufacturing assembly lines is crucial for reducing time and labor costs and improving processes. For instance, in rocket assembly, premature part failures can lead to significant financial losses and labor inefficiencies. With the abundance of sensor data in the Industry 4.0 era, machine learning (ML) offers potential for early anomaly detection. However, current ML methods for anomaly prediction have limitations, with F1 measure scores of only 50% and 66% for prediction and detection, respectively. This is due to challenges like the rarity of anomalous events, scarcity of high-fidelity simulation data (actual data are expensive), and the complex …

Duality Of Ensemble Systems Through Moment Representations, Vignesh Narayanan, Wei Zhang, Jr-Shin Li

Publications

Controlling large-scale dynamic population systems, known as ensemble control, is a pervasive and essential task in many emerging applications from diverse scientific domains. Previous focuses in the area of ensemble control have been placed on seeking open-loop control strategies due to unavailability of state feedback information for each individual system in the ensemble. In this paper, we develop a foundational framework for analysis and control of ensemble systems with closed feedback control loops. We introduce the notion of ensemble moments and construct moment systems associated with the ensemble systems. By extending the classical moment problem in mathematical analysis and statistics, …

Survival After Ditching In Motorized Aircraft, 1989-2022, Douglas D. Boyd, Volker C. Schick, Catherina Hippler, Jochen Hinkelbein

Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although an unintended aircraft landing on water (referred to as ditching) is a rare event, the potential for occupant injury/fatality increases immediately following the event due to adverse conditions. However, to date, few studies have addressed the subject. Herein, ditching events and post-ditching survival were investigated.

METHODS: Ditchings (1982–2022) in the United States were identified from the National Transportation Safety Board database. Occupant injury severity, aircraft type, pilot experience, flight conditions, and number of occupants were extracted. Poisson distribution, the Chi-squared test (2-tailed), Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance were employed.

RESULTS: A total of 96 …

Farm Electricity System Simulator (Fess): A Platform For Simulating Electricity Utilisation On Dairy Farms, F. Buckley, J. Upton, R. Prendergast, L. Shalloo, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

The objective of this paper was to define, validate and demonstrate a model capable of accurately simulating dairy farm electricity consumption across varying herd and parlour sizes, to facilitate research investigating renewable energy systems (RES) and demand side management (DSM). The Farm Electricity System Simulator (FESS) was developed using grey-box modelling techniques utilizing empirical data for parameter tuning. Empirical data were gathered from nine spring calving, pasture based dairy farms located in the Republic of Ireland. A k-means clustering analysis was conducted, separating the farms into three, near homogenous groups, from which representative farms were selected. FESS was trained using …

Optimal Environmental And Economic Performance Trade-Offs For Fifth Generation District Heating And Cooling Network Topologies With Waste Heat Recovery, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

Network topology greatly influences both the economic and environmental performance of fifth generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC) systems. In this study the optimal trade-offs between the environmental and economic performance of 5GDHC network topologies for a five-building district with waste heat recovery were explored. A life cycle assessment method was used to calculate the total life cycle CO2 emissions (LCCO2) associated with the installation and operation of various network topologies. Twelve months of empirical data from a data center cooling system were analyzed to assess its suitability for integration into a 5GDHC system. The most suitable method for utilizing …

Review Of Methodological Decisions In Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Of Biorefinery Systems Across Feedstock Categories, James Gaffey, Maurice N. Collins, David Styles

Publications

The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to biorefineries is a necessary step to estimate their environmental sustainability. This review explores contemporary LCA biorefinery studies, across different feedstock categories, to understand approaches in dealing with key methodological decisions which arise, including system boundaries, consequential or attributional approach, allocation, inventory data, land use changes, product end-of-life (EOL), biogenic carbon storage, impact assessment and use of uncertainty analysis. From an initial collection of 81 studies, 59 were included within the final analysis, comprising 22 studies which involved dedicated feedstocks, 34 which involved residue feedstocks (including by-products and wastes), and a further 3 …

Farmer Perceptions Of Land Cover Classification Of Uas Imagery Of Coffee Agroecosystems In Puerto Rico, Jose Cabrera, Blake Neal, Kevin Adkins, Ronny Schroeder, Gwendolyn Klenke, Shannon Brines, Nayethzi Hernandez, Kevin Li, Riley Glancy, Ivette Perfecto

Publications

Highly diverse agroecosystems are increasingly of interest as the realization of farms’ invaluable ecosystem services grows. Simultaneously there has been an increased use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in remote sensing as drones offer a finer spatial resolution and faster revisit rate than traditional satellites. With the combined utility of UAS and the attention on agroecosystems, there exists an opportunity to assess UAS practicality in highly biodiverse settings. In this study, we utilized UAS to collect fine-resolution 10-band multispectral imagery of coffee agroecosystems in Puerto Rico. We created land cover maps through a pixel-based supervised classification of each farm and …

Human Factors In Aviation Maintenance: Understanding Errors, Management, And Technological Trends, Rajee Olaganathan

Publications

Aircraft maintenance and inspection are complex systems that work on a time-based schedule and require teamwork of different professionals to maintain the airworthiness of aircraft. Errors in maintenance and inspection processes cause in-flight engine shutdowns, flight delays, flight cancellation, sometimes resulting in accidents and incidents that cause significant economic consequences. Due to the substantial impact on both safety and financial aspects of an air carrier, this paper focuses on hangar maintenance as the work is carried out across several shifts by different technicians, addressing various human factor issues that contribute to errors. The paper will also briefly discuss shift work …

Women In Aviation – My Journey, Mentors, And Other Advice, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Associate Professor of Applied Aviation Science Sarah Nilsson shares her professional experiences and insights in the areas of aviation and aviation law.

Commentary: A Patient-Specific Lower Extremity Biomechanical Analysis Of A Knee Orthotic During A Deep Squat Movement, Christine Dailey Walck

Publications

The recent study by Walck et al., titled “A Patient-Specific Lower Extremity Biomechanical Analysis of a Knee Orthotic during a Deep Squat Movement,” provides a novel insight into the biomechanical impacts of knee orthotics, particularly the non-linear spring-loaded (NLSL) knee joint orthosis (KJO)1 . This commentary aims to delve into the implications, interpretations, and evaluations of the findings, contextualizing them within the broader discourse on knee orthotics.

Immersive Framework For Designing Trajectories Using Augmented Reality, Joseph Anderson, Leo Materne, Karis Cooks, Michelle Aros, Jaia Huggins, Jesika Geliga-Torres, Kamden Kuykendall, David Canales, Barbara Chaparro

Publications

The intuitive interaction capabilities of augmented reality make it ideal for solving complex 3D problems that require complex spatial representations, which is key for astrodynamics and space mission planning. By implementing common and complex orbital mechanics algorithms in augmented reality, a hands-on method for designing orbit solutions and spacecraft missions is created. This effort explores the aforementioned implementation with the Microsoft Hololens 2 as well as its applications in industry and academia. Furthermore, a human-centered design process and study are utilized to ensure the tool is user-friendly while maintaining accuracy and applicability to higher-fidelity problems.

The Role Of Organizational Theory For The Formulation Of A Sustainable Model Applicable To Air Traffic Management And Control Operations, Eva Maleviti

Publications

This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to Air Traffic Management (ATM), which encompasses Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures, Reduced Separation Vertical Minima (RVSM) and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) schemes. It also discusses the role of these and other elements in promoting environmental sustainability and the key factors essential for creating effective aviation operations. The main objective of this paper is to identify and select the most relevant components for establishing a theoretical framework for sustainable ATM and ATC practices. Notably, the organizational theory is used in this paper, aiming to create a firm theoretical model that can support sustainability in the …

Experimental Analysis Of The Integrated High-Lift Propulsor, Robert W. Deters, Byron Ward, Shreyas Narsipur

Publications

Wind tunnel testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the Integrated High Lift Propulsor (IHLP), a novel Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) system. The IHLP integrates traditional Krueger flap/slat elements with a Distributed Electric Propulsion design, enhancing high lift performance and cruise efficiency compared to conventional pylon-mounted DEP configurations. Starting from a baseline configuration determined from pretest Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses, a parametric study was performed to determine the influence on the aerodynamic characteristics (���� , ����, and ����). The study involved variations in flap settings, slat angles, overlap, propeller tilt, and propeller position. The impact of Reynolds number, …