Autonomous Airport Taxiing Using ATC Clearance Interpretation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Uncrewed aircraft face challenges in executing air traffic control conditional clearances due to lack of situational awareness during taxiing at airports shared with crewed aircraft, leading to high pilot workload and potential operational difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A system with onboard controllers, optical sensors, bidirectional communication radios, and aiding sensors, utilizing AI techniques to interpret ATC clearances and integrate with airport surface environment images for autonomous taxiing, incorporating existing aircraft sensors and existing air traffic management systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a remote pilot manually executes ATC conditional clearances, then the aircraft can be controlled, but the pilot workload becomes very high and situational awareness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the uncrewed aircraft to autonomously execute ATC conditional clearances by automatically processing clearance messages, interpreting conditions, monitoring relevant parameters, and adjusting operations without remote pilot intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the high workload experienced by remote pilots while maintaining full operational control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical control system (remote pilot operations) with an automated electronic system that processes ATC clearances, interprets conditions, and controls aircraft operations electronically. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous human intervention while improving operational efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous taxiing systems are implemented, then operational capability is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a single unified autonomous taxiing system that can process various types of ATC clearance messages, interpret different conditional requirements, monitor multiple aircraft parameters, and adapt to diverse airport surface conditions. This multi-functional approach enhances operational capability while avoiding the need for separate specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines ATC clearance processing, condition interpretation, parameter monitoring, and vehicle control functions into an integrated autonomous taxiing system. By merging these previously separate functions, the system achieves enhanced adaptability while managing complexity through unified architecture.
3Reliability
If conditional clearances are used to manage traffic flow, then safety is improved, but the pilot's workload increases due to additional instructions and restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous taxiing system continuously monitors aircraft parameters and operational status, comparing them against the conditional clearance requirements in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures that safety conditions are automatically verified and maintained, eliminating the need for pilots to manually track and respond to multiple conditional instructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages conditional clearance compliance by itself monitoring relevant parameters, evaluating whether conditions are met, and adjusting operations accordingly. This self-service approach maintains safety standards while completely eliminating the additional workload that conditional clearances impose on human pilots.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises a controller onboard a vehicle that provides for autonomous taxiing of the vehicle at an airport. Onboard optical sensors include look-forward and look-down optical sensors. An onboard bidirectional radio receives ATC clearance information. The system also includes onboard aiding sensors, and an airport moving map database. An ATC clearance processing module translates the ATC clearance information into processor readable information. An image processing module receives image data from the optical sensors, and provides object detection and image interpretation functions. A taxi route generation module receives translated ATC clearance information and map information to generate a travel route at the airport for the vehicle. An aiding sensor data processing module determines state information for the vehicle based on vehicle state data. A command generation module generates commands for driving the vehicle. A control module automatically drives the vehicle on an airport surface, and controls a brake and throttle.