Multi-Vehicle Systems and Air Traffic Control Commons^™

Multimodal Interpretation Of Pilot–Controller Communications For Runway Safety Assurance And Enhanced Atc Situational Awareness., Chaebin Song, Juin Park

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Recent runway safety events have highlighted the importance of accurate and timely interpretation of pilot–controller communications, especially in complex airport environments where aircraft and ground vehicles interact on or near active movement areas. In light of the recent LaGuardia Airport collision, which has drawn attention to communication, coordination, and surface safety challenges, this project investigates how multimodal data can support air traffic controllers’ situational awareness and safety assurance. This study develops an in-progress framework that combines Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) of pilot–controller radio communications with ADS-B trajectory data to improve interpretation of operational intent and cross-check communications against observed aircraft …

Fault-Aware Flight Path Assessment For Evtols Using An Integrated Air Traffic Management Environment, John Clardy, Edison Alberto Martinez Samaniego

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study introduces a simulation framework to evaluate Fault-Aware Flight Paths for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft within an integrated air traffic management environment. By combining an air traffic management system with intelligent trajectory generation frameworks, the approach assesses the development of safe, adaptive, and fault-aware flight paths that account for traffic interactions, airspace features, and specific operational constraints. Real-world historical airspace traffic data was used to accurately simulate complex and congested operational conditions. The main goal is to evaluate the operational impact of integrating eVTOL operations into the National Airspace System, with a focus on conflict detection, …

Assessing Computer Vision Based Conflict Detection In Uas Traffic Monitoring Under Secure Communication Constraints, Fadjimata Issoufou Anaroua

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid growth of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is creating a new low-altitude airspace ecosystem where drones, air taxis, service suppliers, communication networks, sensors, and ground-based monitoring systems must work together safely. Within this ecosystem, UAS Traffic Management (UTM) is expected to provide a digital framework for coordinating operations beyond traditional air traffic control. However, reliable integration also requires resilient monitoring methods that can detect non-cooperative aircraft, protect communication links, and maintain timely situational awareness under real-world constraints.

This dissertation examines how computer vision can support cooperative monitoring systems such as Remote ID and ADS-B …

Cooperative Pursuit Nonlinear Guidance And Control Laws To Surround Intruder Swarms, Rishab Rijal

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In this thesis, an integrated guidance and control architecture to enable a group of n quadcopters, which are connected to each other by a rope line, to perform cooperative pursuit with the objective to surround a swarm of intruder UAVs (possibly flying in restricted airspaces) is presented. The UAVs in the intruder swarm may maneuver and sometimes get closer to each other, and sometimes further apart, and the pursuing UAVs need to adjust their formation appropriately to achieve the surround objective. A nonlinear controller is developed for the quadcopters so as to effectively execute the guidance laws, thereby ensuring precise …

Urban Air Mobility (Uam) Flight Path: Literature Review And Conceptual Design Of Uam Corridor Virtual Lane System Using “Tracks”, Immanuel Bankole

Student Works

As the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry grows and becomes more popular, most of the conversations in the public domain are focused on the (electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) eVTOL aircraft and the physical infrastructure that will support these eVTOL aircraft. However, there is a lack of research on UAM traffic management and flight paths taken by aircraft between locations.

The United States (U.S.) Federal Aviation Administration has proposed the use of corridors to minimize the interaction between UAM operations and traditional air traffic as eVTOL aircraft perform flight activities. The government also acknowledges the need for additional structures (such …

Ads-B Communication Interference In Air Traffic Management, George Ray

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Automated Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) provides position and state information about aircraft and is becoming an essential component in the global air traffic management system. ADS-B transponders broadcast this key information on a common frequency to both other aircraft and to secondary surveillance radar systems located at ground stations. Both the aircraft transponders and the ground stations work together to assist in managing the commercial airspace. Since the aircraft transponders all broadcast on the same frequency and are in close proximity there is an apparent risk of interference and the garbling of the communications needed to manage the airspace.

The …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Aviation-Wildlife Strikes Across Europe, Isabel C. Metz, Marta Giordano, Dionysios Ntampakis, Marianna Moira, Anneke Hamann, Rosanne Blijleven, Jürgen J. Ebert, Alessandro Montemaggiori

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between aircraft and wildlife (i.e., wildlife strikes) pose a serious threat toward the safety of aircraft, its crew, and passengers. The effects of COVID-19 related travel restrictions on wildlife strikes are unknown. With this study, we aim to address this information gap by assessing the changes of wildlife hazard management performance across European airports during the lockdown period (e.g., period of reduced operations and borders closure in spring 2020). We also sought to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife strike prevention in times of reduced operations. The objective of our study was to compare wildlife strike data before …

Air Traffic Controllers’ Occupational Stress And Performance In The Future Air Traffic Management, Hui Wang

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As demand for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations increases, it is vital to understand its effects on air traffic controllers and the safety of the national airspace system. This study’s primary purpose is to determine how UAVs that operate in controlled airspace would influence air traffic controllers’ occupational stress and performance. In a within-subject experimental research design, 24 participants sampled from a university’s undergraduate Air Traffic Management (ATM) program completed three different air traffic control (ATC) scenarios on an en route ATC simulation system. The degree of UAV automation and control were varied in each scenario. The participants’ stress levels, …

Changing The Process In Educational Field And Air Navigation Through Advances In Hologram Technology, Camilo Fernandez Sr.

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The objective of this piece is to propose reasons that change the way air traffic controllers and others learn and work in air navigation, but also how they can improve workloads, due to the implementation of holographic radar. This research also aims to describe how this could reduce the cognitive load of an operator, thanks to the improvement of visual perspective and capacity of analysis, in order to more easily control an aircraft.

Seeing that the visual facilitation is well known, radar is able to represent in three dimensions and in detail that which could not previously be perceived. This …

Can The Timeframe Of Reported Uas Sightings Help Regulators?, Spencer Erik Pitcher, Kelly A. Whealan-George

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Remotely controlled small aircraft, otherwise known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones have started to impact the United States National Airspace System by interfering with the safe flight of aircraft. As the UAS industry continues its expected growth into the future, lawmakers, as well as regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation community must be able to predict when there will be more UAS craft in the air that could cause an interruption to air traffic so that more resources can be allocated optimally to counter the threat of UAS craft. The purpose of this study …

Quantum Safety Metrics Framework For Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Operators, Tracy L. Lamb, Nathan A. Phillips, Trong Van Nguyen

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Commercial unmanned aircraft systems continue to increase in applications and diversity; however, mishaps and accidents erode safety, investment return, and efficiency. Most unmanned aircraft accidents are preceded by leading indicators; the ability to forecast and quantify these may provide increased safety and profitability. This mixed-method research study used a non-experimental parallel convergence approach with multiple instruments, multiple-case study n = 22, and one exemplar case design to develop a quantum safety metric program. This study used a combination of previously validated methods as development instruments, including; the HFACS, STAMP, 'Sierra Scale,' and Accident Prevention Effort equations. The study extended the …

Dynamic Delegated Corridors And 4d Required Navigation Performance For Urban Air Mobility (Uam) Airspace Integration, Trong Van Nguyen

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Increased traffic congestion on urban road networks has impacted the travel time for commuters in highly populated urban centers. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is recognized as a system that transports the passenger and air cargo from any location to any destination within a metropolitan area. UAM may offer a solution to the problematic issue of automobile urban surface transportation congestion. However, the predicted significant growth in the demand for integration of UAM operations into the existing airspace system in the next 20 years and beyond may exceed the capacity of current air traffic control (ATC) system resources, particularly the ATC …

Beyond 2020 Nextgen Compliance: Human Factors And Cognitive Loading Issues For Commercial And General Aviation Pilots, Mark D. Miller, Sam Holley

Publications

As previously identified by the authors, digitized flight decks have realigned SHELL model components and introduced cognitive overload con­cerns. Considering changes from implementing Next Generation air traffic management requirements in 2020, the authors assess digitized interfaces associated with cockpit displays of information integral to performance based navigation and similar operations. Focus is placed on Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, digitized communications, and expanded electronic flight bags. The ADSB (In) cockpit display will enable pilots to have flight visual awareness on aircraft, terrain, weather and hazards to flight through live satellite updates every second. Increased optical demands and cognitive loading are anticipated …

Global Aviation System: Towards Sustainable Development, Marina P. Bonser Dr.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Aviation around the world has integrated into a global system. As the integration process continues, more aspects and levels of it need to be lead towards the sustainable development of the whole system via advancing strategic management, global communication proficiency, and technological expertise. It becomes essential to enrich global language (English) proficiency with cross-cultural communication competence not only for communication in the air but also for airport security, passenger and cargo services, aircraft and equipage engineering, building, and maintenance. Nowadays lower levels of management need more advanced strategic thinking and problem solving skills, and higher levels of management need global …

Real Time And High Fidelity Quadcopter Tracking System, Tyler Mckay Hall

Computer Engineering

This project was conceived as a desired to have an affordable, flexible and physically compact tracking system for high accuracy spatial and orientation tracking. Specifically, this implementation is focused on providing a low cost motion capture system for future research. It is a tool to enable the further creation of systems that would require the use of accurate placement of landing pads, payload acquires and delivery. This system will provide the quadcopter platform a coordinate system that can be used in addition to GPS.

Field research with quadcopter manufacturers, photographers, agriculture and research organizations were contact and interviewed for information …

Adopting Unmanned Flight Operations Into Controlled Airspace, Jennah C. Perry, Johnny Young, Jacqueline Luedtke, Benjamin Cook, Holly Hughes, Allison M. Little, Kyle Wilkerson

Publications

Unmanned aircraft activity is becoming more common within the National Airspace System (NAS) and is expected to dominate the NAS in the near future. Specific procedures for adopting unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS).

A variation of the Military Grid Reference System was developed and digitally overlaid onto the radar display. To incorporate this grid system, a customized flight plan database was created for the storage of operator submitted flight plans. Instead of verbal communication, a computer chat system is used for communication because of the low altitude operations in the field.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has …

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Operations Into The National Airspace System, Benjamin Cook, Holly Hughes, Kyle Wilkerson, Allison Little

Discovery Day - Prescott

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are expected to dominate the National Airspace System (NAS) in the near future. One particular barrier preventing the integration of unmanned aircraft into the NAS is the lack of standardized procedures for distinguishing and communicating with remote UAS operators. In preparation for adopting unmanned flight operations into a complex control system, it is important to identify solutions to effectively control UAS in the NAS. To achieve simultaneous safe manned and unmanned aircraft operations in the NAS, the Joint UAS and ATC Team (JUAT) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) are developing a system that could be used …

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Operations Into The National Airspace System, Benjamin Cook, Holly Hughes, Allison Little, Kyle Wilkerson, Jennah C. Perry, Johnny Young, Jacqueline Luedtke

Publications

Commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are expected to dominate the National Airspace System (NAS) in the years to come. One particular barrier preventing integration of UAS into the NAS is the lack of standardized procedures for separating aircraft and communicating with ATC. In preparation for adopting unmanned flight operations into a complex control system, it is important to identify solutions to effectively control UAS in the NAS.

The Joint UAS and ATC Team (JUAT) group has designed several simulated ATC scenarios in order to determine effective solutions for integration. Through the use of digitized radar display overlays that replicate the …

Thinking Rather Than Panicking About The Current Drone Threat, Tom Foley, Tyrone Groh

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

Originally titled "UAS Threats in Sport Venues," the authors opted to expand their focus to better to all threats from UASs, and to encourage better preparation for and responses to such threats. Foley and Groh discuss different strategies.

Keeping The Skies Safe, Massood Towhidnejad, Andrew J. Kornecki

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

Professors Massood Towhidnejad and Andrew Kornecki shine a light on how their lab is helping government and the aviation industry to enhance the safety and security of software-intensive systems.

Integration Of Unmanned Aerial Systems In Class E Airspace: The Effect On Air Traffic Controller Workload, Jeeja S. Vengal

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As technology rapidly advances and our imagination is no longer fantasy but instead reality, the aviation community needs to concentrate on the harsh truth of airspace safety. In the situation of integrating unmanned aerial systems (UASs) into the National airspace, UASs outside of terminal areas would generally be permitted to fly their preferred routes, and self-separate, with minimal intervention from air traffic control. From an air traffic control perspective, the integration could raise a number of human performance problems including workload extremes and passive-monitoring demands. One fundamental requirement for operation in the National Air Space is to preserve the safety …