Studying NextGen Concepts with the Multi-Aircraft Control System (original) (raw)
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ASDI = Aircraft Situation Display to Industry ATC = Air Traffic Control ATM = Air Traffic Management
2008
This paper describes new functionality recently added to the Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS) software. MACS is a comprehensive research platform used in the Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at NASA Ames Research Center that has been developed to increase the overall realism and flexibility of controller- and pilot-in-the loop air traffic simulations. The research focus in the AOL is on examining distributed air traffic operations in complex air/ground environments. MACS was originally developed to rapidly prototype new interfaces, displays, tools and operational concepts for managing air traffic and evaluating them from different perspectives. New capabilities have been added to MACS to better investigate NextGen concepts, including the capability to simulate airspaces that span multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), and powerful tools for creating and editing custom traffic and weather scenarios.
14th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, 2014
The Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames conducts research to provide a better understanding of roles, responsibilities, and requirements for human operators and automation in future air traffic management (ATM) systems. The research encompasses developing, evaluating, and integrating operational concepts and technologies for near-, mid-, and far-term air traffic operations. Current research threads include efficient arrival operations, function allocation in separation assurance and efficient airspace and trajectory management. The AOL has developed powerful air traffic simulation capabilities, most notably the Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS) that is used for many air traffic control simulations at NASA and its partners in government, academia and industry. Several additional NASA technologies have been integrated with the AOL's primary simulation capabilities where appropriate. Using this environment, large and small-scale system-level evaluations can be conducted to help make near-term improvements and transition NASA technologies to the FAA, such as the technologies developed under NASA's Air Traffic Management Demonstration-1 (ATD-1). The AOL's rapid prototyping and flexible simulation capabilities have proven a highly effective environment to progress the initiation of trajectory-based operations and support the mid-term implementation of NextGen. Fundamental questions about accuracy requirements have been investigated as well as realworld problems on how to improve operations in some of the most complex airspaces in the US. This includes using advanced trajectory-based operations and prototype tools for coordinating arrivals to converging runways at Newark airport and coordinating departures and arrivals in the San Francisco and the New York metro areas. Looking beyond NextGen, the AOL has started exploring hybrid human/automation control strategies as well as highly autonomous operations in the air traffic control domain. Initial results indicate improved capacity, low operator workload, good situation awareness and acceptability for controllers teaming with autonomous air traffic systems. While much research and development needs to be conducted to make such concepts a reality, these approaches have the potential to truly transform the airspace system towards increased mobility, safe and efficient growth in global operations and enabling many of the new vehicles and operations that are expected over the next decades. This paper describes how the AOL currently contributes to the ongoing air transportation transformation.
The Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at NASA Ames Research Center
AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference and Exhibit, 2006
The capabilities have been developed at NASA Ames and cover a wide range of operational environments from current day operations to future operational concepts like those envisioned for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS). The research focus in the AOL is on examining air traffic control and management operations across multiple air traffic control sectors in rich air/ground environments that can include oceanic, enroute and terminal airspace. Past research involving the AOL includes distributed air/ground traffic management studies on trajectory negotiation, airborne self-separation and airborne spacing. Ongoing research with various government and industry partners include trajectory-oriented operations with limited delegation; multi sector planning; the US tailored arrivals initiative; airline-based sequencing and spacing, and airborne merging and spacing. In the future we expect using the AOL extensively for early exploration of operational questions crucial to the NGATS, like human-automation interaction, roles and responsibilities in distributed environments and required automation capabilities. This paper first gives an overview over philosophy, physical layout, software and connectivity of the AOL. Next, the available real-time capabilities are described in detail followed by a description of some important offline capabilities. The paper concludes with a summary of past and present research in the AOL and concluding remarks.
Human-In-the-Loop Evaluation of NextGen Concepts in the Airspace Operations Laboratory
AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, 2010
The Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at the NASA Ames Research Center hosts a powerful simulation environment for human-in-the-loop studies of air traffic operations. The primary real-time simulation capabilities are developed by the AOL development team as part of the Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS) and cover a wide range of operational environments from current day operations to future operational concepts like those envisioned for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The research focus in the AOL is on examining air traffic control and traffic management operations across multiple air traffic control sectors and Centers in rich air/ground environments that can include oceanic, enroute and terminal airspace. The basic simulation capabilities and earlier research was presented at the AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies conference in 2006. Since then, the AOL capabilities have been continuously improved and expanded. Over the past four years the AOL has been extensively utilized to investigate a variety of NextGen concepts for NASA's NextGen Airspace Program and the FAA's Air Traffic Organization for Planning, Research and Technology. The primary focus areas under investigation in the AOL are Separation Assurance and the associated Functional Allocation for NextGen, Controller Managed Spacing for near-to mid-term Terminal area operations, flow-based trajectory management and multi-sector planning and dynamic airspace configuration and flexible airspace management. This paper first gives an overview over the most significant capabilities that were added since 2006 and then reviews at a high level the main activities and findings in the different research focus areas. Nomenclature AAC = Advanced Airspace Concept ADS-A/B = Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Addressed/Broadcast ADRS = Aeronautical Data link and Radar Simulator ANSP = Air Navigation Service Provider AOL = Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames ATM = Air Traffic Management ATOL = Air Traffic Operations Laboratory at NASA Langley BC = Boundary Change CD&R = Conflict Detection and Resolution CDTI = Cockpit Display of Traffic Information CPDLC = Controller Pilot Data Link Communication DAC
Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management - Technology and Concept Demonstration Report
AIAA's Aircraft Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) 2002 Technical Forum, 2002
A technology and concept demonstration was conducted to evaluate three NASA Advanced Air Transportation Technologies Office, Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM) Concept Elements -En Route Free Maneuvering, En Route Trajectory Negotiation, and Terminal Arrival Self-Spacing -in a virtual operating environment that included controllers, pilots, and simulation support personnel. The test made use of three facilities -the Airspace Operations Laboratory, Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory, and Crew Vehicle Systems Research Facility's Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator (ACFS) -along with an array of existing and conceptspecific decision support tools (DSTs) and procedures. Participant controllers monitored and then transitioned free flight aircraft into controlled airspace, data-linked route and clearance information, and sequenced aircraft for approach and landing using NASA DSTs. Pilot participants flew the ACFS, solved route conflicts in free flight airspace, data-linked route changes to air traffic controllers for approval, and spaced on a lead aircraft during the approach phase using an enhanced Cockpit Display of Traffic Information. Traffic density varied from light to heavy across four scenario types. The demonstration indicated that the DAG-TM concepts should be explored for their potential to increase NAS flexibility and capacity. The test environment was proven to be a robust and useful infrastructure for more advanced research in the future. The participant feedback provided valuable insight into the continued development of DSTs and procedures that will help guide the direction and refinement of future research.
Computer simulation and analysis tool for air and space traffic interaction research
Proceedings. The 21st Digital Avionics Systems Conference
Driven by anticipated increase in satellite deployments and corresponding increase on spacelaunch demand, numerous domestic and international government programs as well as several "start-up" private ventures have been formed to develop launch vehicles that will provide less expensive alternatives to the current fleet, including numerous reusable launch vehicle concepts. The different launch-vehicle concepts are expected to have different operational characteristics, and thus different impact and requirements on the National Airspace System (NAS). This paper describes a set of computer analysis capabilities being developed for the study of air traffic management issues related to the space operations. NASA already has the Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) for evaluation of advanced technologies on the air traffic over the continental U.S. The computer tool described in this paper builds on FACET to include the capability to model and analyze space-flight operations within the NAS. Specifically, it includes an extensible model database for inclusion of future launch and return vehicle models for simulation and analysis; modeling of new reserved airspace definitions; functionality for analyzing launch/return operations and potential debris fallout; and more powerful visualization capabilities. The computer tool will be instrumental for studying the interaction of air and space traffic with regard to such issues as air traffic control, spaceport operations, airspace environments, automation and decision-support tools, and communication, navigation, and surveillance.
Evaluation of a radically revised air traffic management interface
Proceedings. The 21st Digital Avionics Systems Conference, 2003
ABSTRACT By taking into account the capabilities of modern computer-based control systems, and modern knowledge of human cognitive capabilities and limitations, it is possible to produce an 'en route' air traffic management system which has a considerably greater capacity than the existing system - although this requires considerable changes in the way that control is exercised. The model described included checks for unintentionally unsolved conflicts and incorrect departures, improved symbology for errors in departures and a provision for a rapid switch between the two aircraft in a conflict. It also included more detailed recording of simulation events, and more precise calculations of departure times. The time, place and flight level for exit for each aircraft were planned as they were generated, and aircraft were required to leave at that spacetime point, unless this would involve a conflict.
ATC-lab: An air traffic control simulator for the laboratory
Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 2004
Air Traffic Control Laboratory Simulator (ATC-lab) is a new low-and medium-fidelity task environment that simulates air traffic control. ATC-lab allows the researcher to study human performance of tasks under tightly controlled experimental conditions in a dynamic, spatial environment. The researcher can create standardized air traffic scenarios by manipulating a wide variety of parameters. These include temporal and spatial variables. There are two main versions of ATC-lab. The mediumfidelity simulator provides a simplified version of en route air traffic control, requiring participants to visually search a screen and both recognize and resolve conflicts so that adequate separation is maintained between all aircraft. The low-fidelity simulator presents pairs of aircraft in isolation, controlling the participant's focus of attention, which provides a more systematic measurement of conflict recognition and resolution performance. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that ATC-lab is a flexible tool for applied cognition research.