Architectural Design of a Safe Mission Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

[EN] Civil Aviation Authorities are elaborating a new regulatory framework for the safe operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Current proposals are based on the analysis of the specific risks of the operation as well as on the definition of some risk mitigation measures. In order to achieve the target level of safety, we propose increasing the level of automation by providing the on-board system with Automated Contingency Management functions. The aim of the resulting Safe Mission Manager System is to autonomously adapt to contingency events while still achieving mission objectives through the degradation of mission performance. In this paper, we discuss some of the architectural issues in designing this system. The resulting architecture makes a conceptual differentiation between event monitoring, decision-making on a policy for dealing with contingencies and the execution of the corresponding policy. We also discuss how to allocate the different Safe Mission Manager components to a partitioned, Integrated Modular Avionics architecture. Finally, determinism and predictability are key aspects in contingency management due to their overall impact on safety. For this reason, we model and verify the correctness of a contingency management policy using formal methods.This work was supported by the Spanish Regional Government "Generalitat Valenciana" under contract ACIF/2016/197.Usach Molina, H.; Vila Carbó, JA.; Torens, C.; Adolf, FM. (2018). Architectural Design of a Safe Mission Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Journal of Systems Architecture. 90:94-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sysarc.2018.09.003S941089

Automatic deployment of an RPAS Mission Manager to an ARINC-653 compliant system

[EN] The development process of avionics system requiring a high level of safety is subjected to rigorous development and verification standards. In order to accelerate and facilitate this process, we present a testbed that uses a suite of methods and tools to comply with aerospace standards for certification. To illustrate the proposed methodology, we designed a Mission Management System for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) that was deployed on a particular run-time execution platform called XtratuM, an ARINC-653 compliant system developed in our research group. The paper discusses the system requirements, the software architecture, the key issues for porting designs to XtratuM, and how to automatize this process. Results show that the proposed testbed is a good platform for designing and qualifying avionics applications.This research has been financed by the Institute of Control Systems and Industrial Computing (Ai2), and by projects GVA AICO/2015/126 (Ayudas para Grupos de Investigacion Consolidables) and GVA ACIF/2016/197 (Ayudas para la contratacion de personal investigador en formacion de caracter predoctoral) of the Spanish Regional Government "Generalitat Valenciana".Usach Molina, H.; Vila Carbó, JA.; Crespo, A.; Yuste Pérez, P. (2018). Automatic deployment of an RPAS Mission Manager to an ARINC-653 compliant system. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems. 92(3-4):587-598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-017-0694-3S587598923-4Aeronautical Radio, Inc.: ARINC specification 653-1. Avionics Application Software Standard Interface (2003)Bonasso, R., Kerri, R., Jenks, K., Johnson, G.: Using the 3T architecture for tracking Shuttle RMS procedures. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Joint Symposia on Intelligence and Systems. IEEE, Rockville, MD, USA (1998) https://doi.org/10.1109/IJSIS.1998.685440fentISS: XtratuM Hypervisor Emulator (SKE) start guide. Tech. rep., Universidad Politècnica de València (2015)Fons, B.: Plataforma para diseño y ejecución de aplicaciones de aviónica. Universitat Politècnica de València, Master’s thesis (2013)International Civil Aviation Organization: Doc. 9613 AN/937: Performance-based Navigation (PBN) Manual, 4th edn. (2013)International Civil Aviation Organization: Doc. 10019, AN/507: Manual on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), 1st edn. (2015)Koehl, D.: SESAR initiatives for RPAS integration. In: ICAO Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Symposium. Montreal, Canada (2015)Masmano, M., Ripoll, I., Crespo, A., Metge, J.: XtratuM: A hypervisor for safety critical embedded systems. In: Proceedings of the 11th Real-Time Linux Workshop. Dresden, Germany (2009)Masmano, M., Valiente, Y., Balbastre, P., Ripoll, I., Crespo, A., Metge, J.: LithOS: A ARINC-653 guest operating for XtratuM. In: Proceedings of the 12th Real-Time Linux Workshop. Nairobi, Kenia (2010)McCarley, J.S., Wickens, C.D.: Human factors implications of UAVs in the national airspace. Tech. Rep. AHFD-05-05/FAA-05-01, University of Illinois, Institute of Aviation, Aviation Human Factors Division (2005)North Atlantic Treaty Organization: STANAG 4703: Light Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airworthiness Requirements. NATO Standarization Agency (2014)Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA): DO-178C/ED-12C Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification. RTCA (2011)Ribeiro, L.R., Oliveira, N.M.R.: UAV autopilot controllers test platform using Matlab/Simulink and X-Plane. In: 40th ASEE/ IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. IEEE, Washington, DC, USA (2010). https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2010.5673378Spitzer, C.R.: Digital Avionics Handbook: Elements, Software and Functions, 2nd edn. CRC Press (2006)The MathWorks Inc.: Simulink Coder Target Language Compiler (2012)Usach, H.: Integridad y tolerancia a fallos en sistemas de aviónica. Universitat Politècnica de València, Master’s thesis (2014)Usach, H., Fons, B., Vila, J., Crespo, A.: An autopilot testbed for IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics) architectures. In: Proceedings of the 19th IFAC Symposium on Automatic Control in Aerospace. Elsevier, Würzburg, Germany (2013). https://doi.org/10.3182/20130902-5-DE-2040.00076Usach, H., Vila, J., Crespo, A., Yuste, P.: A highly-automated RPAS Mission Manager for integrated airspace. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Application and Theory of Automation in Command and Control Systems, ATACCS’15. ACM, Toulouse, France (2015). https://doi.org/10.1145/2899361.289936

Navegación Basada en Prestaciones: Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos para estudiantes de Aeronavegación

[EN] In aerospace engineering, motivation is considered a critical factor in the teaching-learning process, especially due to the difficulty of the subjects taught. Active methodologies, focused on student learning, can increase students' motivation and enhance their learning, helping them to persevere through a challenging workload. Previous studies have shown how the implementation of the Project-Based Learning methodology as a working tool in various disciplines is motivating and facilitates the integration of subjects and their permanence in student learning. In this work, the planning and development of this methodology in various subjects of Air Navigation Specific Technology is exposed, integrating the tasks that must be carried out in the different subjects, in lines of action with a common purpose: the development of the project of an airport according to its infrastructures and associated procedures.[ES] En la ingeniería aeroespacial la motivación se considera un factor crítico en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, sobre todo por la dificultad de las materias impartidas. Las metodologías activas, centradas en el aprendizaje del estudiante, pueden aumentar la motivación de los estudiantes y mejorar su aprendizaje, ayudándoles a perseverar a través de una carga de trabajo desafiante. Estudios previos han demostrado cómo la implantación de la metodología de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos como herramienta de trabajo en disciplinas varias, es motivadora y facilita la integración de las materias y su perduración en el aprendizaje del alumnado. En este trabajo se expone la planificación y el desarrollo de esta metodología en varias asignaturas de la Tecnología Específica de Aeronavegación, integrando las tareas que se deben llevar a cabo en las distintas asignaturas, en líneas de acción con un fin común: la elaboración del proyecto de un aeropuerto atendiendo a sus infraestructuras y procedimientos asociados.Este trabajo está enmarcado en el Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora Educativa PIME/19-20/196 con título: ''Navegación Basada en Prestaciones (Performance Based Navigation)'', del Vicerrectorado de Estudios, Calidad y Acreditación de la Universitat Politècnica de València, siendo esta la entidad financiadora (UPV: Convocatoria Aprendizaje + Docencia. Proyectos de Innovación y Mejora Educativa)Cuenca Gotor, VP.; Yuste Pérez, P.; Vila Carbó, JA.; Despujol Zabala, I.; Monsoriu Serra, JA. (2021). Navegación Basada en Prestaciones: Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos para estudiantes de Aeronavegación. En IN-RED 2021: VII Congreso de Innovación Edicativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 620-632. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2021.2021.13799OCS62063

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020

[EN] Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3,4,5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes.S

Computer systems. An introduction to computers for engineering curricula

This book presents the contents of an introduction course to Computer Science for engineering disciplines where the engineer makes use of the computer not only as an "office tool" but also as an integral part of his designs. This is the case of the curricula in Industrial Automation, Telecommunication, or Aeronautics, where some engineering designs really consist of embedded systems built around a microcontroller. In all these curricula, the engineer needs a deeper insight on the computer basics that goes beyond the classical introduction to programming, which is considered to be complementary to this book. This book introduces the basics of computer structure and organization. The topics covered by the book are Information Coding, Digital Systems, Computer Organization, Machine Language, and the Computer Input/Output. The approach followed to introduce all these topics is the use of Systems Theory and abstraction as a way to deal with complexity: a strong emphasis is put throughout the book in identifying boxes with a well-defined functionality and a set of inputs and outputs. Complex objects, as computers, can be usually decomposed into a set of simpler components interconnected through their inputs and outputs. These components define a lower level of abstraction that allows showing up some implementation details that were not relevant at higher levels of abstraction.Vila Carbó, JA. (2017). Computer systems. An introduction to computers for engineering curricula. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/90673EDITORIA

Reconfigurable Mission Plans for RPAS

[EN] This paper deals with the problem of formally defining and specifying Mission Plans for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). Firstly, the profile of RPAS missions is highly variable and different from those of commercial flights. Route variability from the planned route is frequent due to operating conditions and, especially, contingencies. For this reason, RPAS Mission Plans should be reconfigurable: they should allow the nominal plan to be modified during flight time. Secondly, aviation authorities may require the ability to operate in an autonomous mode in response to Command and Control (C2) link losses. As a result, RPAS Mission Plans should specify all possible routings and behaviors in greater detail. The Reconfigurable Mission Plan concept introduced in this paper expands on current flight plans by providing a level of description that improves predictability and allows for reconfiguration, contingency handling, and higher levels of automation and pilot assistance. The paper presents a detailed discussion of RPAS contingency handling and develops a formal specification of the Reconfigurable Mission Plan concept. The paper also develops algorithms for dynamically configuring Mission Plan routes that might mitigate the effect of contingencies. Finally, the whole proposal is validated with a prototype implementation and a proof of concept.This work was supported by the Spanish Regional Government Generalitat Valenciana under contract ACIF/2016/197.Usach Molina, H.; Vila Carbó, JA. (2020). Reconfigurable Mission Plans for RPAS. Aerospace Science and Technology. 96:1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2019.105528S1209

Resource Management for Mobile Operating Systems based on the Active Object Model

[EN] Personal devices are penetrating most technology market sectors nowadays. Despite their growing computation power, they execute powerful yet heavy software platforms that, in the end, expose the physical hardware resource limitations. Such software platforms are becoming thick layers that contain an embedded mobile operating system with graphical tools, communication software supporting wired and wireless protocols, and virtual machines and hosting platforms to enable portable code execution. In the last decade, mobile devices have also become part of some real-time domains that in the past only used specialized computing hardware; this is the case of, for example, industrial control infrastructures where personal devices are used mainly for interfacing purposes. Still, the full adoption of personal embedded devices in real-time environments has not been achieved due to their temporal unpredictability derived, among other reasons, from the operating system's execution and concurrency model. Therefore, mechanisms for efficient and timely management of resources are needed to meet, at least, soft real-time constrains of the emerging application domains that are heavy resource consumers. In this paper, we describe a scheme for integrating resource management techniques on top of the concurrency model of embedded operating systems that use the active object concurrency model; we illustrate the approach by taking, just as example, the model of Symbian. Also, results are presented and discussed that validate the proposed resource management scheme.This work has been partly supported by the iLAND project (ARTEMIS-JU 100026) funded by the ARTEMIS JTU Call 1 and the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism (www.iland-artemis.org), ARTISTDesign NoE (IST-2007-214373) of the EU 7th Framework Programme, and by the Spanish national project REM4VSS (TIN 2011-28339).Garcia-Valls, M.; Crespo, A.; Vila Carbó, JA. (2013). Resource Management for Mobile Operating Systems based on the Active Object Model. Computer Systems Science and Engineering. 28(4):225-235. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/55017S22523528