Artificial intelligence, intermodal transport and common altitude reference for drone operations are among the topics to be addressed by a portfolio of 29 new exploratory projects, recently launched within the framework of the SESAR 2020 research and innovation programme. The DLR Institute of Flight Guidance is significantly involved in several of these projects.
Bringing together academia, research centres, SMEs and larger industry players from across Europe, the projects aim to foster new and innovative ideas on the digital transformation of air traffic management in Europe. A total of EUR 38.5 million is earmarked for the research from the EU’s Horizon 2020 budget.
The projects were selected based on the challenges identified in the Aviation Strategy for Europe, the European ATM Master Plan, Flightpath 2050 - Europe's Vision for Aviation and the ACARE’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). Further information can be found on the SESAR Joint Undertaking website.
Participation of the Institute of Flight Guidance
The DLR Institute is involved in several of the new SESAR exploratory projects projects. Click on the individual project titles to learn more about the projects.
URClearED aims to support current study activities on the RWC functionalities by defining and analysing operational scenarios, which allow to assess requirements and assumptions made in current standards and applicable documents, and then paving the way to future industrial level activities on such system.
START aims to develop, implement, and validate optimisation algorithms for robust airline operations that result in stable and resilient ATM performance even in disturbed scenarios The main focus of the project is the optimization of conventional traffic situations while considering disruptive weather events such as thunderstorms.
SINOPTICA aims to explore the potential of assimilating remote sensing, GNSS-derived datasets and in situ weather stations data into very high-resolution, very short-range numerical weather forecasts to provide improved prediction of extreme weather events to the benefit of ATM operations.
INVIRCAT aims to create a concept of operations for remotely piloted aircraft systems in the terminal manoeuvring area of airports, assessing it through simulations and draft a set of recommendations for rulemakers and standardisation bodies.
SAFELAND aims to support flight and landing of aircraft operated by a single pilot, in case of partial or total incapacitation of the pilot. SAFELAND will focus on the ground side, specifically on the role ATM could have in managing the transition from a single pilot operated flight to a status with reduced or absent contribution of the onboard pilot to landing.
HAAWAII is working on an advanced assistance system for air traffic controllers using speech recognition. In order to be able to use automatic speech recognition at many airports at low cost, artificial intelligence and especially machine learning is used.