In the latest step in a decades-long process through which automation has taken on increasing responsibilities in the cockpit —allowing pilots to focus on flight tasks demanding their unique capabilities— DARPA has awarded three contracts for its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.
ALIAS envisions a tailorable, drop‐in, removable kit that would enable high levels of automation in existing aircraft and facilitate reduced need for onboard crew.
DARPA has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of ALIAS to the following companies: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (top), Lockheed Martin Corporation (middle) and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (bottom). The photos show the aircraft that each performer plans to use to test its respective technologies in Phase 1. (Photos: DARPA/Released)
The program intends to leverage the considerable advances that have been made in aircraft automation systems over the past 50 years, as well as the advances that have been made in remotely piloted aircraft technologies, to help shift and refocus pilot workloads, augment mission performance and improve aircraft safety.
DARPA has awarded prime contracts for ALIAS to the following companies:
- Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
These performers are working with DARPA’s technical team, which includes experts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy.
In Phase 1 of ALIAS, DARPA intends to focus on three critical technology areas:
- Development of minimally invasive interfaces between new automation systems and existing aircraft
- Knowledge acquisition on aircraft operations, to support rapid adaptation of the ALIAS toolkit across different aircraft
- Human-machine interfaces that would enable high-level human supervision instead of requiring pilots’ constant vigilance over lower-level flight maintenance tasks
“Because we want to develop a drop-in system for existing aircraft, we chose performers who could conduct actual ground and flight demonstrations at the start of the program instead of at the end,” said Dan Patt, DARPA program manager. “We’re excited to have a lot of Phase 1 hardware ready to test, which we hope will steepen our learning curve and mature the capability faster. We will also be working closely with members of the crew-operations community, and will be integrating their feedback to help ensure that the move towards greater automation takes best advantage of machine and human skill sets.”
Story and information provided by DARPA
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In the latest step in a decades-long process through which automation has taken on increasing responsibilities in the cockpit —allowing pilots to focus on flight tasks demanding their unique capabilities— DARPA has awarded three contracts for its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.
ALIAS envisions a tailorable, drop‐in, removable kit that would enable high levels of automation in existing aircraft and facilitate reduced need for onboard crew.
DARPA has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of ALIAS to the following companies: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (top), Lockheed Martin Corporation (middle) and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (bottom). The photos show the aircraft that each performer plans to use to test its respective technologies in Phase 1. (Photos: DARPA/Released)
The program intends to leverage the considerable advances that have been made in aircraft automation systems over the past 50 years, as well as the advances that have been made in remotely piloted aircraft technologies, to help shift and refocus pilot workloads, augment mission performance and improve aircraft safety.
DARPA has awarded prime contracts for ALIAS to the following companies:
- Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
These performers are working with DARPA’s technical team, which includes experts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy.
In Phase 1 of ALIAS, DARPA intends to focus on three critical technology areas:
- Development of minimally invasive interfaces between new automation systems and existing aircraft
- Knowledge acquisition on aircraft operations, to support rapid adaptation of the ALIAS toolkit across different aircraft
- Human-machine interfaces that would enable high-level human supervision instead of requiring pilots’ constant vigilance over lower-level flight maintenance tasks
“Because we want to develop a drop-in system for existing aircraft, we chose performers who could conduct actual ground and flight demonstrations at the start of the program instead of at the end,” said Dan Patt, DARPA program manager. “We’re excited to have a lot of Phase 1 hardware ready to test, which we hope will steepen our learning curve and mature the capability faster. We will also be working closely with members of the crew-operations community, and will be integrating their feedback to help ensure that the move towards greater automation takes best advantage of machine and human skill sets.”
Story and information provided by DARPA
Follow Armed with Science on Facebook and Twitter!
———-
Disclaimer: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of this website or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DOD website.
from Armed with Science http://ift.tt/1CCqxaV
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