Application of Cognitive Agents to NAS Models and Real-Time Simulations Steven Estes, Principal Investigator Problems:
MITRE is commonly asked to determine what impacts new technologies may have on the NAS. While metric-based analysis can resolve many questions, cognitive agents embedded in system models and real-time simulations must ultimately be used to answer what are essentially cognitive questions. Specifically, what are the effects of new technologies on controller/pilot workload and efficiency?
Objectives:
To address these issues, we will create a library of autonomous cognitive agents: representations of humans that interact with and react to the environment in the same way as a real human would. These will be implemented within NAS models or real-time simulations.
Activities:
In FY08 we will expand our simple model so that it can implement traffic management initiatives, including reroutes and mile-in-trail restrictions. The model will be tested and calibrated using validation exercises in which the model controls traffic in our en route simulation environment.
Impact:
Cognitive agents allow for macro-level system results based in part on micro-level cognitive data. These human-like agents permit us to predict, for example, if using enhanced delegated separation concepts can increase controller productivity to the point where controllers can handle additional sectors. Within real-time environments, cognitive agents can facilitate evaluations by acting as pilots, controllers, or traffic managers.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0017 Presentation [PDF]
Exploration of Algorithms for the NextGen Collision Avoidance System Roxaneh Chamlou, Principal Investigator Problems:
Because the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) was developed some time ago, its ability to accommodate the applications that are envisioned for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is limited. There is a need to analyze the role of future NextGen technologies such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) in the overall collision avoidance concept and architecture.
Objectives:
Our objective is to answer three fundamental research questions: What are the desired NextGen collision alerting and avoidance capabilities that are not met by TCAS? What new enabling technologies and design principles could meet the NextGen needs? What are the key functional needs that ensure enhancements and modifications do not detract from safety -- the primary function of the collision avoidance system?
Activities:
In the project's first phase we will assess the impact of TCAS limitations on new applications and operational procedures, establish performance enhancements that can be achieved with new technologies, and propose a set of functional capabilities for an airborne collision alerting and avoidance system. In later phases, we will develop a simulation of this system with associated analysis tools, and apply these to testing and evaluation.
Impact:
The aviation community's existing collision avoidance system (TCAS) can trace its origins to MITRE's Technology Program. MITRE has the opportunity to make a similar impact on the future of aviation by taking the initiative to explore an integrated airborne collision alerting and avoidance system that accommodates new applications and procedures envisioned for NextGen.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0023 Presentation [PDF]
Integrated Departure Route Planning Lixia Song, Principal Investigator Problems:
Under current practice, severe weather conditions trigger the generation of large Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) to protect the National Airspace System (NAS). With the help of the right tools to manage integrated departure route and en route sector congestion, traffic managers could be more effectively focused and negative impacts on the overall NAS could potentially be reduced.
Objectives:
Our objective is to develop a set of functions that can help traffic managers identify reroutes, explore alternatives, and monitor, evaluate, implement, and alter reroutes. This will enable them to initiate only those reroutes necessary for departure traffic, and to implement needed reroutes more efficiently and safely.
Activities:
We will create an operational concept and develop procedures for integrated departure route planning. We will then develop a prototype rerouting capability. These will be used to determine and rank alternative routes and provide an acceptable reroute strategy that can be implemented in a timely manner.
Impact:
The integrated departure route planning function has the potential to greatly improve the efficiency of departure traffic management, especially under severe weather conditions. The integrated approach also provides a base for developing other decision support functions for traffic flow management and supports the collaborative process of flow contingency management as described in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) concept of operations.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0015 Presentation [PDF]
Integrated Economy-Wide Modeling Katherine Harback, Principal Investigator Problems:
The aviation industry has connections to the broader economy, in part because aviation is a key enabler in the production of industry outputs. Presently there exists no rigorous framework to consider these connections in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) policy and investment analysis, though significant benefit could result.
Objectives:
This research will apply a CGE model for assessing economy-wide impacts of aviation policy and public investment and applying it to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
Activities:
CGE has been used extensively for energy, environment, trade, taxation, and other policy analysis problems. Following a review of existing CGE models and software and data requirements the team will develop the CGE model, possibly as an adaptation of prior work. Key design criteria include the ability to analyze NextGen enhancements as well as overall flexibility and transparency.
Impact:
The result of this effort will give decision makers a rigorous, economically sound means for assessing the economy-wide effects of aviation policy and public investment. This will not replace existing impact assessments that have a specific focus for aviation at the industry level, but instead will complement them and provide a broader context.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0018 Presentation [PDF]
Integrated Equivalent Visual Operations Anand Mundra, Principal Investigator Problems:
Air traffic operations at U.S. airports and terminal areas depend heavily on visual procedures for acquiring traffic and maintaining aircraft separation. Airport and terminal area operations suffer dramatically when meteorological conditions degrade to the point where visual procedures cannot be used. This is a major source of delays throughout the system.
Objectives:
This research will develop concepts that approximate visual operations using existing and emerging technologies, including: Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast mode (ADS-B), Required Navigation Performance (RNP), wake vortex transport prognosis, Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) providing sensor based vision in low visibility, and Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) providing terrain and cultural data for the environment.
Activities:
We will research promising technologies, generate new concepts and procedures for equivalent visual operations using these technologies, compare them for feasibility and benefits, and pick one with the most promise for mid-term implementation. We will conduct laboratory demonstrations of the concept in a simulated cockpit/air traffic control environment.
Impact:
If successful, the proposed procedures will significantly increase NAS capacity and reduce delays. This will help meet the objectives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Joint Program Development Office (JPDO). The FAA's surveillance program, safety, and air traffic planning offices will be interested in the procedures as will major airlines and avionics manufacturers.
Approved for Public Release: 08-011 Presentation [PDF]
Multi-Purpose Cockpit Display of Traffic Information Peter Stassen, Principal Investigator Problems:
The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will use cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI), Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), and other new technologies and procedures to enable a new role for the cockpit. But to take advantage of these advances aircraft must first be appropriately equipped. For some users the value proposition is currently not clear.
Objectives:
The objective of this effort is to demonstrate a CDTI that can support a large set of ADS-B applications across a range of flight and ground operations. In support of this objective, the project will create a suitable CDTI specification and develop and demonstrate a simulation prototype that represents the envisioned capabilities.
Activities:
Following a review of proposed ADS-B/CDTI applications we will identify the algorithmic and user interface requirements of a flexible, multi-purpose CDTI. We will then design and prototype the capability in MITRE's air traffic management laboratory and demonstrate its value using a range of applications.
Impact:
This project is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of a flexible, multi-purpose CDTI technology. Our aim is to attract the attention of stakeholder groups (e.g., the FAA, the research community, and the aviation industry) regarding the technological need and opportunities, and to get users to better understand the CDTI value proposition.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0075 Presentation [PDF]
Net-Enabled TFM Scott Kell, Principal Investigator Problems:
Current capabilities for sharing information across national airspace domain systems such as terminal, en route, and traffic flow management (TFM) are limited and stove-piped, and require proprietary interfaces. To achieve the proposed Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) the Federal Aviation Administration faces the challenge of building an infrastructure using emerging net-centric information technologies.
Objectives:
We will develop a flexible, scalable, and extensible TFM architecture framework to meet NextGen research needs. We will demonstrate agility in research and capability deployment through rapid integration of reusable, discoverable service interfaces, and we will learn how best to use information for advanced visualization prototyping and net-enabled shared decision-making.
Activities:
We will determine additional requirements for MITRE' TFM research and development platforms, add capabilities to our new technology framework, and develop services using Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and web service technologies. Simultaneously, we will explore advanced TFM visualization and interaction concepts using this platform in conjunction with "thin-client" applications.
Impact:
These new capabilities will support MITRE's research of NextGen TFM tools and concepts. By exploring and developing a net-enabled framework of simulation and visualization capabilities for TFM using SOA technologies, MITRE will take important steps in building a knowledge base and will gain real-world experience in designing, developing, and implementing SOA technologies.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0020 Presentation [PDF]
Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Capability Frank Sogandares, Principal Investigator Problems:
The preparation and execution of experiments in MITRE's air traffic management simulation laboratory is time consuming and labor intensive. If MITRE could tap into the broad on-line aviation gaming community we would have a rapid ability to leverage a large, experienced user base for evaluating new concepts and procedures.
Objectives:
This project will develop interoperability between MITRE's air traffic management laboratories and the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network (VATSIM). Through this activity we will gain an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of this on-line community and its suitability for aviation research.
Activities:
We will conduct a series of exercises designed to assess this capability, each time increasing the level of interoperability between MITRE's laboratories and the VATSIM world. We will develop guidelines to explore the acceptability of research results. Since VATSIM is a less controlled environment than MITRE's labs, we will also investigate how that lack of control impacts results.
Impact:
This project explores the potential value of tapping into the Internet-based world of aviation enthusiasts as a means to augment and/or extend MITRE's internal laboratory capabilities. By allowing rapid engagement with an experienced, global user base, this could represent an important new environment for exploring new concepts and technologies for getting to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
Approved for Public Release: 08-0013 Presentation [PDF]
Visualization Service Bus David Callner, Principal Investigator Problems:
Currently aviation research visualizations are being custom-built for each new simulation or analysis. We need an integrated visualization architecture that will allow analysts with no programming knowledge to rapidly and easily integrate air traffic management (ATM) data sources, analytical results, and simulation output on advanced visualization displays.
Objectives:
We will build a "Visualization Service Bus" that will connect data sources and simulations to visualization components in the same way that an enterprise service bus (ESB) connects enterprise data processing elements. This design will allow users to graphically view, customize, and change analytical sources and advanced visualizations into service assemblies that will provide a dynamic integrated visualization framework.
Activities:
We will survey open-source ESBs and develop the Visualization Service Bus on top of the selected ESB. We will determine the requirements needed for the visualization framework and select appropriate use cases to demonstrate the capabilities. Then, we will integrate advanced visualizations not currently used within MITRE into the Visualization Service Bus to demonstrate its dynamic flexibility and provide another medium for analysis.
Impact:
By developing and implementing this visualization architecture, users will be able to develop their own visualization applications for their own specific needs. This would broadly improve the ability of CAASD staff to communicate results, both internally and to our sponsors. We would also gain insight into advanced service-oriented architecture technologies, and how they could be applied across MITRE.
Approved for Public Release: 08-0012 Presentation [PDF]
Last Updated:05/05/2008 | ^TOP | 
