The Impact of Suggestive Maneuver Guidance on UAS Pilot Performing the Detect and Avoid Function

Rorie, R. Conrad; Fern, Lisa; Shively, Jay

doi:10.2514/6.2016-1002

Cited by 30 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…A DAA system provides surveillance, alerts, and maneuver guidance to keep a UAS "well clear" of other aircraft [1,2]. In the United States, simulation tests as well as flight tests have provided supporting information for defining a DAA Well Clear [1,3] (DWC) and requirements for the alerting and maneuver guidance performance [4][5][6][7][8]. Prototype DAA algorithms have also been developed for alerting and maneuver guidance (referred to as guidance in this paper) research [9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detect and Avoid Alerting Performance with Limited Surveillance Volume for Non-Cooperative Aircraft

Lee

Cone

2019

AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum

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This paper investigates effects of limited surveillance volume on the alerting performance of a Detect and Avoid (DAA) system for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The surveillance volume accounts for an airborne sensor capable of detecting non-cooperative aircraft. Independent variables include four candidate DAA Well Clear (DWC) definitions and five surveillance volumes. Open-loop alerting performance metrics are computed from the results of running a reference DAA algorithm on a large number of synthesized encounters. The speed range for the UAS traffic considered is between 40 and 100 kts. Results show that, with a 2.5 nmi sensor range, all four candidate DWCs allow at least an average of 25 seconds warning alert times before a loss of DWC. Cumulative distributions of the intruder's bearing and elevation at the first warning alert suggest that ±10 • and ±140 • , respectively, are sufficient for alerting > 95% of the encounters that lead to losses of DWC.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detect and Avoid Alerting Performance with Limited Surveillance Volume for Non-Cooperative Aircraft

Lee

Cone

2019

AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum

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“…These delays were based on some unpublished, internal analysis performed on data from human-in-the-loop testing done in a previous study. 10 If the maneuver guidance was changed during the delay, a new maneuver would be chosen while the UAS continued executing any previous guidance. The delay would then be added again before beginning the new maneuver.…”

Section: B Simulation Platformmentioning

confidence: 99%

UAS Well Clear Recovery against Non-Cooperative Intruders using Vertical Maneuvers

Cone

Thipphavong

Lee

et al. 2017

17th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference

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This paper documents a study that drove the development of a mathematical expression in the detect-and-avoid (DAA) minimum operational performance standards (MOPS) for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This equation describes the conditions under which vertical maneuver guidance should be provided during recovery of DAA well clear separation with a non-cooperative VFR aircraft. Although the original hypothesis was that vertical maneuvers for DAA well clear recovery should only be offered when sensor vertical rate errors are small, this paper suggests that UAS climb and descent performance should be considered-in addition to sensor errors for vertical position and vertical rate-when determining whether to offer vertical guidance. A fast-time simulation study involving 108,000 encounters between a UAS and a non-cooperative visual-flight-rules aircraft was conducted. Results are presented showing that, when vertical maneuver guidance for DAA well clear recovery was suppressed, the minimum vertical separation increased by roughly 50 feet (or horizontal separation by 500 to 800 feet). However, the percentage of encounters that had a risk of collision when performing vertical well clear recovery maneuvers was reduced as UAS vertical rate performance increased and sensor vertical rate errors decreased. A class of encounter is identified for which vertical-rate error had a large effect on the efficacy of horizontal maneuvers due to the difficulty of making the correct left/right turn decision: crossing conflict with intruder changing altitude. Overall, these results support logic that would allow vertical maneuvers when UAS vertical performance is sufficient to avoid the intruder, based on the intruder's estimated vertical position and vertical rate, as well as the vertical rate error of the UAS' sensor. * mod  = modified tau threshold I. Introduction AFE integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) requires that they interoperate with existing safety systems for manned aircraft. One requirement that is particularly difficult for UAS to satisfy is the requirement for aircraft to perform see-and-avoid to remain "well clear" of other aircraft. 1 This requirement is in the FAA's Federal Aviation Regulation §91.113(b), which dictates that, "When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. When a rule of this section gives another aircraft the right of way, the pilot shall give way to that aircraft and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear." §91.113 also covers right-of-way rules for air vehicle operations. If two aircraft get too close and lose "well clear," they are expected to maneuver immediately and attempt to regain it. However, the exact definition of the term "well clear" is not given in the regulations, and is subject to interpretation by the pilot. This is diffi...

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“…Aircraft response times ranged from 5.64 seconds to 8.65 seconds across the blunder and non-blunder encounters. In the most recent simulation available for comparison, aircraft response times ranged from 8.13 seconds to 18.83 seconds across display configurations and alert type [9]. This sizable difference can be largely attributed to the differences in experimental protocol already mentioned.…”

Section: E Response Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…DAA guidance is required to be "suggestive", in that it merely provides the pilot with a range of maneuver options (shown as "banding"); the decision of which precise maneuver(s) to make in response to the guidance is left to the pilot's discretion. Such information has been found to significantly improve pilot response times and loss of DAA well clear rate compared to the lack of suggestive DAA maneuver guidance [9].…”

Section: Daa Alerting and Guidancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specific attention has been paid to identifying the traffic display features that minimize pilot response times and the frequency and severity of losses of DAA well clear (LoDWC) [6][7][8][9][10]. The results of these studies informed the development of the Phase 1 DAA MOPS traffic display requirements, which specified a minimum set of information that DAA traffic displays must provide to UAS pilots.…”

Section: Daa Alerting and Guidancementioning

confidence: 99%

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An Interoperability Concept for Detect and Avoid and Collision Avoidance Systems: Results from a Human-in-the-Loop Simulation

Rorie

Fern

2018

2018 Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference

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The integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) poses a variety of technical challenges to UAS developers and aviation regulators. In response to growing demand for access to civil airspace in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has produced a roadmap identifying key areas requiring further research and development. One such technical challenge is the development of a "detect and avoid" system (DAA) capable of providing a means of compliance with the "see and avoid" requirement in manned aviation. The purpose of the DAA system is to support the pilot, situated at a ground control station (GCS), in maintaining "DAA well clear" of nearby aircraft through the use of GCS displays and alerts. In addition to its primary function of aiding the pilot in maintaining DAA well clear, the DAA system must also safely interoperate with existing NAS systems and operations, such as the airspace management procedures of air traffic controllers (ATC) and Collision Avoidance (CA) systems currently in use by manned aircraft, namely the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II). It is anticipated that many UAS architectures will integrate both a DAA system and a TCAS II. It is therefore necessary to explicitly study the integration of DAA and TCAS II alerting structures and maneuver guidance formats to ensure that pilots understand the appropriate type and urgency of their response to the various alerts. This paper presents a concept of interoperability for the two systems. The concept was developed with the goal of avoiding any negative impact on the performance level of TCAS II while retaining a DAA system that still effectively enables pilots to maintain DAA well clear. The interoperability concept described in the paper focuses primarily on facilitating the transition from a latestage DAA encounter (where a loss of DAA well clear is imminent) to a TCAS II Corrective Resolution Advisory (RA), which requires pilot compliance within five seconds of its issuance. The interoperability concept was presented to 10 participants (6 active UAS pilots and 4 active commercial pilots) in a medium-fidelity, human-in-the-loop simulation designed to stress different aspects of the DAA and TCAS II systems. Pilots' ability to maintain separation, their rate of compliance and response times using the interoperability concept are reported. Results indicated that pilots exhibited comprehension of, and appropriate prioritization within, the DAA-TCAS II combined alert structure. Pilots demonstrated a high rate of compliance with TCAS II RAs and were also seen to respond to corrective RAs within the five second requirement established for manned aircraft. The DAA system presented under test was also shown to be effective in supporting pilots' ability to maintain DAA well clear in the overwhelming majority of cases in which pilots had sufficient time to respond.

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The Impact of Suggestive Maneuver Guidance on UAS Pilot Performing the Detect and Avoid Function

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

Detect and Avoid Alerting Performance with Limited Surveillance Volume for Non-Cooperative Aircraft

Detect and Avoid Alerting Performance with Limited Surveillance Volume for Non-Cooperative Aircraft

UAS Well Clear Recovery against Non-Cooperative Intruders using Vertical Maneuvers

An Interoperability Concept for Detect and Avoid and Collision Avoidance Systems: Results from a Human-in-the-Loop Simulation

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