Detecting Anomalies by Fusing Voice and Operations Data

Our concept divides the safety monitoring architecture into two components: an Airspace/Airport Monitoring component, and a Flight Monitoring system. The Airspace Monitor combines data on weather, infrastructure state, traffic density, and aircraft positions and planned trajectories with predictive analytics on aircraft separations and conflict rates to infer the (hidden) risk state of the airspace. The Flight Monitor uses airline and aircraft-based data to evaluate potential aircraft risks from equipment state and certification, and the potential for pilot fatigue based on elapsed crew duty time and time of day. Our architecture can readily add real-time crew monitoring in future instantiations. Separating the airspace and flight monitoring modules offers a significant development and deployment benefit. All the data for the Airspace Monitor are publicly available and the module can be built and applied NAS-wide without restriction. All airline proprietary and personal data are contained within the Flight Monitor under direct airline control. The airline can access our airspace risk assessment monitor and combine it with its proprietary flight and personnel information to monitor its flights. Our Flight Monitor also offers the available infrastructure to expand into more detailed pilot and aircraft monitoring. Our tool integrates with airline operations decision support systems to provide a real-time monitoring and alerting system for dispatchers. Our system will also provide for continuous data collection and storage, enabling follow-on trend and statistical analyses of flight operational issues, pilot fatigue, and anomalies by airline safety officials and NASA researchers.

ASMET offers a key component for meeting the ISSA milestone for terminal area safety margin monitoring. With its new features and added airports, ASMET offers a mechanism to improve safety throughout the NAS and deploy NASA safety technologies into airline operations centers and. The robust, expandable architecture supports new metrics and algorithms developed by NASA safety researchers.

The expanded ASMET adds airline dispatchers and operations managers as ASMET users, supporting dispatchers as they plan and monitor flights as part of their business and regulatory responsibilities to maintain flight safety. ASMET offers operational benefits to the airline, identifying predicting risks that may also disrupt airline operations.

This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.