Microscale Weather Based Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Optimization System

Aeris proposes to build upon the successful development and demonstration of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)/Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) route planning and scheduling system developed in our Phase I effort.Our solution involves the enhancement of a system that integrates two enabling technologies: 1) highly resolved and accurate microscale weather information from a building-resolving atmospheric model that can provide near surface winds and turbulence at meter-scale resolutions.2) graph analytics data analysis methodologies designed to fuse the microscale weather data, aircraft operational parameters, UAM/AAM airspace system characteristics and operational constraints. A large eddy simulation (LES) model will be used to translate standard environmental data into highly resolved micro-scale wind/turbulence information that can account for terrain, land-use characteristics, and buildings.LES microscale weather data will then be combined with aircraft performance parameters to calculate UAM/AAM aircraft specific parameters for all of the scheduled aircraft, possible routes, and flight plans.Graph analytics will then be utilized to estimate the best combination of routes and corresponding departure and flight schedules for both the in-flight and departing aircraft.In this Phase II effort Aeris will develop the supporting software infrastructure that will enable an operationally cycling UAM/AAM route selection and flight scheduling capability that can operate as a real-time system.We will also develop enhancements to the algorithm to improve its robustness and core capability and verify and validate its performance in relevant environments. This system will ultimately be able to provide flight scheduling and route guidance for both an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) as well as for UAM operations environments (UOE) for vertical takeoff and landing passenger and package aircraft that operate near the surface and at altitudes above UTM operations. Description of Innovation: The proposed innovation will enable route planning and scheduling of UAM/AAM vehicles in scenarios with dynamically changing weather and operational conditions. Our approach involves: 1) highly resolved, microscale weather information; 2) graph analytics data analysis methodologies designed to fuse the UAM/AAM system and environmental data. The proposed system will combine these two innovations to demonstrate the feasibility of using them to develop a tactical UAM/AAM UTM capability that can provide dynamic and real-time aircraft route planning and scheduling recommendations.  In the proposed Phase II effort we will demonstrate that the system robustness has been enhanced to a level where it can be deployed and run in a real-time operational setting.   Significance of Innovation: Precision UAM/AAM flight scheduling and route guidance information products will be core elements within future UAM/AAM airspace management systems. The flight scheduling and route guidance products proposed here will help to ensure safe and efficient UAM/AAM aircraft operations. Technical Objectives: The technical objective of this Phase II effort will be to build upon the successes of the Phase I effort by: 1) Enhancing  the graph analytics algorithm that increases the TRL and complexity of UAM/AAM operations that the system can address;  2) Extending the route selection and flight scheduling system to enable real-time operations;  3) Developing a CivTAK-based information communications interface to stakeholders;  4) Conducting system demonstrations and the verification and validation of this capability.   Proposed Deliverables: A proof-of-concept demonstration of a graph analytics based UAM/AAM flight scheduling route guidance assessment algorithm/tool that can operate in a real-time operational setting. A demonstration of the CivTAK-based user interface to supply flight schedule requests and receive flight information from the UAM/AAM flight scheduling and route selection system. The delivery of executable CivTAK user interface and UAM/AAM flight scheduling and route selection software Documentation summarizing the research and development conducted through this Phase II SBIR effort and the results from the capability demonstration.  A successful result to this Phase II SBIR effort will be a system that can successfully operate in a dynamically evolving operational scenario with changing weather conditions and airspace capacity demands.

A core mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to support the development of technologies that enhance the safety and efficiency of aviation operations in the United States National Airspace System.   The technologies proposed in this Phase II SBIR will demonstrate a core capability for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) / Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) flight schedule and route guidance products that will undoubtedly be required to ensure safe an efficient UAM/AAM Aircraft Systems Traffic Management operations. The notional UAM/AAM architecture concept currently envisioned by the FAA is a public-private information system between the FAA and a federated set of participants.  A key element within this system will be precision UAM/AAM flight scheduling and route guidance information products.  If successful, the technology proposed here will provide key data products to this air traffic management system.

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