6,935 research outputs found
Empirical exploration of air traffic and human dynamics in terminal airspaces
Air traffic is widely known as a complex, task-critical techno-social system,
with numerous interactions between airspace, procedures, aircraft and air
traffic controllers. In order to develop and deploy high-level operational
concepts and automation systems scientifically and effectively, it is essential
to conduct an in-depth investigation on the intrinsic traffic-human dynamics
and characteristics, which is not widely seen in the literature. To fill this
gap, we propose a multi-layer network to model and analyze air traffic systems.
A Route-based Airspace Network (RAN) and Flight Trajectory Network (FTN)
encapsulate critical physical and operational characteristics; an Integrated
Flow-Driven Network (IFDN) and Interrelated Conflict-Communication Network
(ICCN) are formulated to represent air traffic flow transmissions and
intervention from air traffic controllers, respectively. Furthermore, a set of
analytical metrics including network variables, complex network attributes,
controllers' cognitive complexity, and chaotic metrics are introduced and
applied in a case study of Guangzhou terminal airspace. Empirical results show
the existence of fundamental diagram and macroscopic fundamental diagram at the
route, sector and terminal levels. Moreover, the dynamics and underlying
mechanisms of "ATCOs-flow" interactions are revealed and interpreted by
adaptive meta-cognition strategies based on network analysis of the ICCN.
Finally, at the system level, chaos is identified in conflict system and human
behavioral system when traffic switch to the semi-stable or congested phase.
This study offers analytical tools for understanding the complex human-flow
interactions at potentially a broad range of air traffic systems, and underpins
future developments and automation of intelligent air traffic management
systems.Comment: 30 pages, 28 figures, currently under revie
Impact of Conflict Avoidance Responsibility Allocation on Pilot Workload in a Distributed Air Traffic Management System
Pilot workload was examined during simulated flights requiring flight deck-based merging and spacing while avoiding weather. Pilots used flight deck tools to avoid convective weather and space behind a lead aircraft during an arrival into Louisville International airport. Three conflict avoidance management concepts were studied: pilot, controller or automation primarily responsible. A modified Air Traffic Workload Input Technique (ATWIT) metric showed highest workload during the approach phase of flight and lowest during the en-route phase of flight (before deviating for weather). In general, the modified ATWIT was shown to be a valid and reliable workload measure, providing more detailed information than post-run subjective workload metrics. The trend across multiple workload metrics revealed lowest workload when pilots had both conflict alerting and responsibility of the three concepts, while all objective and subjective measures showed highest workload when pilots had no conflict alerting or responsibility. This suggests that pilot workload was not tied primarily to responsibility for resolving conflicts, but to gaining and/or maintaining situation awareness when conflict alerting is unavailable
A Scalable Low-Cost-UAV Traffic Network (uNet)
This article proposes a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operation paradigm
to enable a large number of relatively low-cost UAVs to fly
beyond-line-of-sight without costly sensing and communication systems or
substantial human intervention in individual UAV control. Under current
free-flight-like paradigm, wherein a UAV can travel along any route as long as
it avoids restricted airspace and altitudes. However, this requires expensive
on-board sensing and communication as well as substantial human effort in order
to ensure avoidance of obstacles and collisions. The increased cost serves as
an impediment to the emergence and development of broader UAV applications. The
main contribution of this work is to propose the use of pre-established route
network for UAV traffic management, which allows: (i) pre- mapping of obstacles
along the route network to reduce the onboard sensing requirements and the
associated costs for avoiding such obstacles; and (ii) use of well-developed
routing algorithms to select UAV schedules that avoid conflicts. Available
GPS-based navigation can be used to fly the UAV along the selected route and
time schedule with relatively low added cost, which therefore, reduces the
barrier to entry into new UAV-applications market. Finally, this article
proposes a new decoupling scheme for conflict-free transitions between edges of
the route network at each node of the route network to reduce potential
conflicts between UAVs and ensuing delays. A simulation example is used to
illustrate the proposed uNet approach.Comment: To be submitted to journal, 21 pages, 9 figure
Pilot and Controller Workload and Situation Awareness with Three Traffic Management Concept
This paper reports on workload and situation awareness of pilots and controllers participating in a human-in-the-loop simulation using three different distributed air-ground traffic management concepts. Eight experimental pilots started the scenario in an en-route phase of flight and were asked to avoid convective weather while performing spacing and merging tasks along with a continuous descent approach (CDA) into Louisville Standiford Airport (SDF). Two controllers managed the sectors through which the pilots flew, with one managing a sector that included the Top of Descent, and the other managing a sector that included the merge point for arrival into SDF. At 3-minute intervals in the scenario, pilots and controllers were probed on their workload or situation awareness. We employed one of three concepts of operation that distributed separation responsibility across human controllers, pilots, and automation to measure changes in operator situation awareness and workload. We found that when pilots were responsible for separation, they had higher levels of awareness, but not necessarily higher levels of workload. When controllers are responsible and actively engaged, they showed higher workload levels compared to pilots and changes in awareness that were dependent on sector characteristics
3D-in-2D Displays for ATC.
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
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