Conflict resolution support for air traffic control based on solution spaces: Design and implementation

Abstract

In earlier research, it has been shown that air traffic controllers can benefit from support tools when performing their conflict detection and resolution task. The support tools used in this research vary from alerting the controller when a conflict is detected to automatically generating a conflict resolution. To take advantage of the controllers' knowledge and experience the support tools should show the solution space rather than only one computed solution. The solution space shows the controller options to create a conflict avoidance maneuver or displays the information the computed solution is based on. A case study has been performed to identify the information currently used to construct an avoidance maneuver. The study showed that controllers determine the avoidance maneuver by estimating the current and future air traffic situation using extrapolated tracks and experience regarding the location of busy areas. Besides future aircraft positions, the solution space comprises all data that has an influence on the avoidance maneuver. Information in the solution space can be based on prediction with an uncertainty distribution. It is important to show the controller the reliability of the predictions and consequently must be included in the solution space. The research described in this paper aims to develop the data structure needed to integrate the different constraints including the uncertainty distribution. Subsequently, the implementation of the concept in a first prototype is discussed.

Separation-compliant speed control in terminal airspace

“…The slopes of the hyperplanes H ucij and H lcij are equal to one. Therefore, if the initial point X 0 lies inside the separation-compliant state set from equation (12) one can conclude that at least one of the hyperplanes H ucij or H lcij is inside the attainable cone. Therefore, there exists at least one ray from the initial point X 0 to the distal edge with no intersection with the pairwise infeasible state set.…”

“…Therefore, speed control is the preferred method, as path control generally entails readdressing separation assurance. There has been recent research 3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 into automating the process of computing for each aircraft in a given fleet. A detailed flight path, parameterized by time, in a way that assures separation for the entire fleet at all times, was aimed at designing automated decision support tools for the ATC.…”

Designing freedom into trajectory-based operations

“…Based on the idea of building octrees for airspace, 8,9 the algorithm for conflict detection uses a dynamic hexadecimal tree allowing very fast response times (compare Figure 3). All conflicts of the whole scenario containing more than 33,000 high precision trajectories are identified in less than 3 min.…”

Tiling the world — Efficient 4D conflict detection for large scale scenarios

“…Koeners described an approach on how to subdivide airspace in three dimensions (latitude, longitude and time) to reduce effort in conflict solution [3]. Since the subdivision is static his solution is only reasonable for limited areas, e.g., the terminal maneuvering area of an airport.…”