Application of Artificial Intelligence for ATM automation and digitalization.
Project “Certification of Artificial Intelligence solutions in aviation applications”.
Over the course of 2024, the “Certification of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aviation” project has made significant progress in identifying and resolving critical challenges related to the safe integration of AI in aeronautical systems, especially in critical environments such as military aviation. This year has focused on the creation of a structured working methodology and a detailed needs analysis to meet the “Safety Critical” criteria.
This year, the following key objectives have been addressed:
- Development of the working methodology for AI certification: An incremental process has been established in the review of applicable standards, combining existing references to build a base framework (V0) that will be expanded with future versions (VN). This initial framework has included an analysis of relevant standards such as RTCA DO-178C and MIL-STD-882E, as well as other documents such as the “EASA AI Roadmap”.
- Definition of a “Safety Critical” criterion: Work has been done on the identification and classification of critical functions in AI-based systems, focusing on factors such as the level of autonomy and human interaction. This definition has been complemented with analysis of military and civilian standards, highlighting the relevance of MIL-STD-882E and EASA practices.
- Needs and gaps assessment: The need to adapt the current safety and criticality schemes to align with the specific requirements of AI-based systems in airworthiness environments has been identified. This assessment has allowed detailing which areas of the current standards require expansion to include IA.
Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects:
- Certification basis proposal for the implementation of artificial intelligence in the aviation field.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) certification in aviation: Predicting controller actions using Machine Learning.
Urban Air Mobility
Project “Evaluation of the Concept of Operation for the operation of UAS”.
Urban mobility, which involves the movement of people and goods in urban environments, is facing significant growth in demand. With global demand for passenger mobility projected to double in urbanized areas by 2050, a substantial challenge arises for authorities and companies. Vehicle congestion, pollution and other problems associated with road transport have led to the exploration of more efficient and sustainable solutions.
Urban air mobility presents itself as a transformative and promising answer. Defined as efficient and safe aerial operations in metropolitan areas for both manned and unmanned aircraft, UAM could alleviate pressure on ground infrastructure and offer a fast and efficient alternative for urban commuting.
The project explores the uses of UAM, from passenger transport and goods delivery to sovereign functions and signal broadcasting. It highlights benefits such as the estimated €4.2 billion market in 2030 and significant reduction of local emissions. However, significant challenges are recognized, such as infrastructure, safety and noise.
Public acceptance is identified as a critical factor, and preventive actions are proposed, such as addressing safety, protecting the environment and coordinating actions between authority levels. Despite the challenges, community and industry collaboration, along with careful planning and regulation, could pave the way to more connected, efficient and sustainable cities through urban air mobility.
Currently, the two entities that stand out the most for studying the implementation of urban air mobility are SESAR and the FAA. Both entities represent new methods of innovation and regulation, leading the way for a safe, efficient and sustainable UAM.
These programs seek to establish standards and regulations that enable drone operations at scale in safe and efficient conditions, as well as to develop air traffic management systems adapted to the characteristics and needs of drones. They aim to facilitate the emergence of new drone-based applications and services, such as package delivery, infrastructure surveillance and monitoring, and passenger transportation, thus contributing to the development of the drone industry and the digital economy in general.
The objective of this paper is to analyze the concept of urban aerial mobility proposed by SESAR and the FAA. From this analysis, it will be possible to identify weaknesses in the implementation of urban aerial mobility. Future work will focus on analyzing one weakness and proposing an alternative solution for Europe.
Project “COMPLEX: Development of Complexity Maps for different Air Operations”.
The development of the operations of any mode of air transport will be based on a series of objectives or premises: To guarantee and maintain the safety of the users of the scenario (Safety), and to allow access to the use of airspace “when” it is needed (Capacity) and “in the operational conditions” that are needed (Efficiency).
These conditions must be maintained over the different planning and operational horizons (strategic, tactical planning and operation). One concept that allows service providers to know the airspace occupied by aircraft and thus maintain efficiency and safety is complexity. Complexity provides insight into the most dangerous areas in which aircraft can operate and act accordingly. In addition, complexity allows root cause analysis, and makes it possible to analyze a mix of variables such as airspace saturation or the difficulty of these operations.
In a context where more and more air transport modes (UAM, STM) coexist with commercial aviation, an element such as complexity maps can help the management of services and capacities, thus increasing efficiency and maintaining safety levels that are standard in conventional aviation. COMPLEX aims to develop complexity maps that can be adapted to different modes of air transport, and in which these modes of transport can coexist. By creating a common framework, based on a macro complexity indicator that will be adapted to different operations, COMPLEX can help management services to make appropriate use of their human and technological resources.
This line of research therefore aims to create the common COMPLEX complexity indicator and adapt it to the different types of air transport. In addition, it aims to complement this indicator with complexity maps that allow the analysis of airspace in terms of complexity. In addition to the complexity module, COMPLEX also aims to complement the complexity analysis with optimization modules. In this way, direct applications will be carried out in which the COMPLEX indicator will be the decision parameter for the optimization of trajectories or sectorizations, depending on the type of transport.
Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects:
- Study of the implementation of a U-Space Service Provider (USSP).
- Exploring Urban Air Mobility. Opportunities and Challenges in the Transportation of the Future.
Space Traffic Management (STM)
Operational concept analysis for the STM” project.
The Space Traffic Management (STM) project represents a strategic and visionary initiative that seeks to address the growing challenges in space traffic management in an increasingly congested environment. The main objective of this proposal is to evaluate the feasibility of applying the methodologies and services developed within the STM framework, taking as a reference the Operational Concepts (ConOps) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the project launched by EuroControl (ECHO Project) in Europe.
Future operations in higher airspace will be manned or unmanned may pose safety risks when transiting current air operations in airspace below HA (Higher Airspace), i.e. below FL 550 or FL 660, or when navigating over HA. They may also have a negative environmental impact, especially in terms of emissions. The assessment of this project should identify potential regulatory gaps and propose, where appropriate, regulatory options that provide the necessary safety and security, as well as environmental protection and minimum impact on conventional airspace. This is an exceptional opportunity to assess and prepare the regulatory landscape, in advance of technological developments. It also offers the possibility of starting from a blank page and devising innovative and disruptive solutions for this new type of traffic.
The results of this project will not only have a significant impact on space traffic management in Europe, but will also contribute to the global effort to preserve and protect outer space for future generations. Approval and support to move forward with this initiative is crucial to ensure a safe and sustainable future in space.
Higher Airspace Operations (HAO) in Europe is an opportunity to implement the recommendations of the SESAR architecture, such as airspace reconfiguration or defragmentation of European skies through virtualization and free flow of data between trusted users (ATM data as a service).
In 2024, an analysis of the existing STM needs, the scope of the STM, the type of vehicles and operations that may be encountered at these altitudes, as well as the integration of these operations proposed by Europe and the FAA, the requirements of the services that will have to be provided, and finally the possible existing time horizons has been carried out.
Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects:
- Space Traffic Management (STM), as means and standards for accessing, conducting activities in and returning from outer space in a safe, sustainable and secure manner.
- Impact analysis of the operation in outer space and associated services.
Implementation of hydrogen as an aviation fuel
Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects:
- Effect on airport services.
- Impact on airport infrastructure and operations.
- Supply, storage & distribution of hydrogen at airports for subsequent use as fuel in aircraft.
- Effect on airport and air navigation services.
- Hydrogen: the future of aviation.
The students of the ETSIAE UPM visited in April 2024 the INTA facilities in Torrejón de Ardoz.
Web of the Chair at the UPM:
