4,285 research outputs found

    An Agent-based Approach for Structured Modeling, Analysis and Improvement of Safety Culture

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    Safety culture is broadly recognized as important for operational safety in various fields, including air traffic management, power plant control and health care. Previous studies addressed characterization and assessment of safety culture extensively. Nevertheless, relations between safety culture and formal and informal organizational structures and processes are yet not well understood. To address this gap, a new, formal, agent-based approach is proposed. This paper shows the application of the approach to an air navigation service provider, including structured modeling, analysis and identification of improvement strategies for the organizational safety culture. The model results have been validated using safety culture data that had been achieved by an independent safety culture survey study. © 2011 The Author(s)

    Safety Sufficiency for NextGen: Assessment of Selected Existing Safety Methods, Tools, Processes, and Regulations

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    NextGen is a complex socio-technical system and, in many ways, it is expected to be more complex than the current system. It is vital to assess the safety impact of the NextGen elements (technologies, systems, and procedures) in a rigorous and systematic way and to ensure that they do not compromise safety. In this study, the NextGen elements in the form of Operational Improvements (OIs), Enablers, Research Activities, Development Activities, and Policy Issues were identified. The overall hazard situation in NextGen was outlined; a high-level hazard analysis was conducted with respect to multiple elements in a representative NextGen OI known as OI-0349 (Automation Support for Separation Management); and the hazards resulting from the highly dynamic complexity involved in an OI-0349 scenario were illustrated. A selected but representative set of the existing safety methods, tools, processes, and regulations was then reviewed and analyzed regarding whether they are sufficient to assess safety in the elements of that OI and ensure that safety will not be compromised and whether they might incur intolerably high costs

    3D-in-2D Displays for ATC.

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    This paper reports on the efforts and accomplishments of the 3D-in-2D Displays for ATC project at the end of Year 1. We describe the invention of 10 novel 3D/2D visualisations that were mostly implemented in the Augmented Reality ARToolkit. These prototype implementations of visualisation and interaction elements can be viewed on the accompanying video. We have identified six candidate design concepts which we will further research and develop. These designs correspond with the early feasibility studies stage of maturity as defined by the NASA Technology Readiness Level framework. We developed the Combination Display Framework from a review of the literature, and used it for analysing display designs in terms of display technique used and how they are combined. The insights we gained from this framework then guided our inventions and the human-centered innovation process we use to iteratively invent. Our designs are based on an understanding of user work practices. We also developed a simple ATC simulator that we used for rapid experimentation and evaluation of design ideas. We expect that if this project continues, the effort in Year 2 and 3 will be focus on maturing the concepts and employment in a operational laboratory settings

    Cyber vulnerabilities in the aviation ecosystem: reducing the attack surface through an international aviation trust framework

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    Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, the aviation system is well developed, however, the community is at similar juncture as the beginning of the 2oth century, only this time the civil aviation system itself is being rapidly transformed by a wave of digital technologies that hold great promise but could also expose the aviation system to new threats. Certain aspects of the digital transformation of the aviation system, based on network connectivity, must be guided to ensure that it generates ever higher-levels of global interoperability and safety. To address this challenge, it is necessary to go back to fundamental principles. It is necessary to establish a system of identity and trust that integrates the wisdom of the Chicago Convention into the digital world that is already overtaking the aviation industry. Service providers, aircraft manufactures, and avionic producers, are all putting in place their own systems of identity and trust as a matter of necessity. That means, in the near future, an aircraft may need different digital certificates to connect with its satellite communications service provider, retrieve data from the airline operations centre, update its avionics software, download engines monitoring data and other functions. The potential number of proprietary secure links is nearly endless. This patchwork of disparate efforts to reduce the attack surface to air and ground operations will add complexity to the system that will be costly to maintain and will offer a myriad of gaps for adversaries to exploit. In the absence of global direction, different manufactures and different States will take different approaches. However, if a globally acceptable system for identity and trust that can be used by manned and unmanned aircraft indistinctively as well as by different service providers and users is available it would likely be embraced by many or all. As such, based on the new vulnerabilities brought by the evolution of the air navigation system through the intense use of digital and connected technologies, the object of this research relates to the vulnerabilities of the aviation system to a cyber-attack and the objective of this thesis is to propose a concept of operations that allows the implementation of a framework able to provide positive digital identification of all members of the aviation community through specific processes and procedures and a virtual network able to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data and information being exchanged at the same time it increases the resilience of operations.Atualmente, no início do século vinte e um, a aviação está em uma situação similar ao início do século vinte, entretanto, desta vez, o sistema de aviação civil está bem consolidado, mas se transformando rapidamente motivado por uma onda de novas tecnologias que apresentam grandes promessas, mas que ao mesmo tempo podem expor a aviação a novas ameaças. Certos aspectos da transformação digital do sistema de aviação civil, baseado em redes que permitem ampla conectividade, devem ser corretamente orientados para garantir níveis globais de segurança e interoperabilidade ainda mais elevados. Para enfrentar esse desafio, necessário se faz o estabelecimento de um sistema de identidades digitais e confiança que integre a sabedoria da Convenção de Chicago ao mundo digital que está invadindo a indústria da aviação. Provedores de serviços, fabricantes de aeronaves e aviônicos estão todos colocando em prática seus próprios sistemas de identificação e confiança por necessidade. Isso significa que em um futuro próximo, uma aeronave poderá precisar de diferentes certificados para conectar-se com seus provedores de comunicações por satélite, receber dados de um centro de coordenação de uma compania aérea, atualizar programas em seus aviônicos, baixar dados para monitoramento do funcionamento de seus motores e outras funções. Esse conjunto de iniciativas isoladas para se reduzir a superfície de ataque cibernético para operações no solo e no ar adicionam complexidade ao sistema considerando que essas iniciativas isoladas tornam o sistema como um todo custoso para se manter e também oferecem uma série de vulnerabilidades a serem exploradas por atores mal intencionados. Na ausência de uma direção global, diferentes fabricantes, provedores de serviços e Estados tomarão direções distintas. Entretanto, se um sistema global de identificação digital e confiança que possa ser usado indistintamente pela aviação tripulada e não tripulada, por provedores de serviços, fabricantes e usuários for posto em prática, é muito provável que o mesmo seja adotado por todos dentro do sistema de aviação civil. Portanto, baseado nas novas vulnerabilidades que a evolução dos sistemas de navegação aérea estão trazendo com o uso intenso de tecnologias digitais e conectadas, o objeto desta tese está relacionado às vulnerabilidades do sistema de aviação civil a um ataque cibernético e o objetivo foi o de propor um conceito operacional que permitisse a implementação de uma estrutura capaz de identificar todos os atores da comunidade de aviação civil através de procedimentos e processos específicos e uma rede virtual para preservar a confidencialidade, a integridade e a disponibilidade das informações e dados sendo intercambiados ao mesmo tempo em que a resiliência do sistema é melhorada através de uma arquitetura específica

    Formal specification and analysis of take-off procedure using VDM-SL

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    traffic management system is a complex adaptive and safety critical system which requires considerable attention for its modelling and verification. Currently Air traffic control (ATC) systems are heavily dependent upon human intervention at airport causing accidents and delays because of failure of communication. The purpose of this study is to develop, plan, manage and verify aircrafts movement procedures at the airport surface that prevent delays and collisions. The airport surface is decomposed into blocks and represented by the graph relation. The state space of the system is described by identifying all the possible components of the system. The ground and local controls monitor queues of the aircrafts moving from taxiway to take-off. It is insured that once an aircraft is inserted into a queue, it is eventually removed from it after the next queue has become available. The take-off procedure is provided using graph theory and Vienna Development Method Specification Language (VDM-SL) and analyzed using VDM-SL toolbox. Formal specification of graph-based model, taxiways, aircrafts, runways and controllers is provided in static part of the model. The state space analysis describing take-off algorithms is provided by defining optimal paths and possible operations in dynamic model expediting the departure procedure. The model is developed by a series of refinements following the stepwise development approach. The delays at airport surface require effective safety and guidance protocols to control air traffic at the airport. In static model, the safety criteria are described in terms of invariants over the data types carrying critical information. The safety is insured by defining pre/post conditions in description of operations for changing state space of the system. Although the proposed study is focussed more on the safety component, however, the efficiency is not ignored. Document type: Articl

    Crew management administrative processes and information technology tools aiming at improving productivity and quality of work: the case of Marlow Navigation.

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    The management of human resources (HR) in the shipping industry is a continuing object of cost management due to the fact that labour cost is becoming an increasingly larger element of overall operational costs. While the fleet of merchant vessels constantly increases in size and the global supply of suitable seafarers shrinks, shipping organizations struggle to administrate their personnel more efficiently. Third-party ship management companies may employ thousands of seafarers of a number of different nationalities and with varying terms and conditions of employment. Each one of these employees has an individual record detailing personal circumstances, qualifications, reports on ability, travel arrangements from country of origin, immigration formality requirements, etc. These aspects engender an extremely complex and cost-conscious environment, within which advanced, tailor-made information technology (IT) tools and optimized cost-efficient administrative shoreside working processes are a prerequisite for reliable and efficient HR management. The main aim of this project is to investigate the administrative environment of one of the world’s largest crew management companies, ‘Marlow Navigation’ and to develop appropriate functional IT instruments and methods aiming at improving productivity and quality of work. Methodology: A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather data related to the administrative productivity of Marlow and the use of available IT applications. The approach consisted of two steps: 1) Descriptive statistics were used to provide quantitative descriptions of questionnaire results (problem identification); and 2) qualitative analysis, through ‘focus group discussion’, was used to identify the specific administrative areas where changes might be effected. Findings: Enhanced administrative productivity and improved quality of work were accomplished through an integrated system of crew management based on specialized IT instruments, innovative workflow and employees’ multidisciplinary knowledge. Originality/value: The proposed key variables of the HR management system can serve as a model for other business organizations, providing a basis for innovative progression with the potential for differentiation from traditional commercial shipping practices

    The impact of customer satisfaction on purchase intention in Malaysian takaful industry

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    To date the study of customer satisfaction and purchase intention have dominated the services literature. This study is aimed to investigate the impact of customer satisfaction on purchase intention among Takaful participants in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire is distributed to eight Takaful companies in Malaysia as a study setting for this study. Out of the total 600 distributed questionnaires 390 were finally selected for data analyses. It is expected that findings from this study will contribute to the existing literature to both theoretical and managerial approaches in order to better understand the pattern of customer satisfaction and purchase intention in Takaful industry settings
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