Certification and Safety of In-Flight Multi-Objective Decision Making Algorithm Techniques

The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) marketplace has seen rapid growth in recent years with hundreds of possible designs at varied stages of development. Many manufacturers are approaching the design problem under the presumption that each of their vehicles will include a pilot onboard. According to an AP News article from February 2023, the government estimates a shortage of ~30k airline pilots by 2032. Autonomous operation of these vehicles could help mitigate/eliminate the piloted need but only a small subset of designers is considering this as their entry point. The necessary autonomous technologies are currently not mature enough to meet this challenge and will be met with intense regulatory scrutiny. Without the ability to take in information from multiple sources and distill that to an actionable response, these vehicles will be limited in their operation scope. Alternatively, without a clear path to certify these new capabilities, the realization of an autonomous UAS/AAM system and its potential benefits will languish.As such, a team led by Systems Technology Inc. (STI), propose to address this problem through the development of Certification and Safety of In-Flight Multi-Objective Decision Making Algorithm Techniques (CERTIFICATE). CERTIFICATE will establish a robustcertification approach and companion software-based toolset for multi-objective decision making (MODM) autonomous technologies and demonstrate this process with novel envelope protection (EP) schemes based upon neural control certificates and correct-by-construction software paradigms. Phase I established the system requirements and demonstrated the CERTIFICATE process using these novel techniques. At the conclusion of the Phase II program, a prototype of the CERTIFICATE software will have been developed and validated for supporting the certification of MODM systems. In addition, two MODM EP methods will have been advanced towards addressing increasingly complex and robust mission scenarios. The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) marketplace has seen rapid growth in recent years with hundreds of possible designs at varied stages of development. Many manufacturers are approaching the design problem under the presumption that their vehicles will include a pilot onboard, but the industry faces significant pilot shortages going forward. Autonomous operation of these vehicles could help mitigate/eliminate this need but only a small subset of designers is considering this as their entry point. The necessary autonomous technologies are currently not mature enough to meet this challenge and will be met with intense regulatory scrutiny. As such, a team led by Systems Technology Inc. (STI), propose to address this problem through the development of Certification and Safety of In-Flight Multi-Objective Decision Making Algorithm Techniques (CERTIFICATE), a robust certification approach and companion software-based toolset for multi-objective decision making (MODM) autonomous technologies, key enablers for fully autonomous flight. Engage with the certification authorities, NASA SMEs, the MODM community, and AAM/UAS manufacturers to understand the changing requirements of the CERTIFICATE approach based upon the evolving knowledge base for this fledgling area. Identify and establish a suite of analytical measures and techniques to assess the performance of the MODM algorithms. Integrate an expanded CERTIFICATE feature set that will include a graphical user interface, a significantly expanded problem definition and analysis customization capability, and an after-action report to investigate the CERTIFICATE results. Develop a high-fidelity tiltwing simulation model with an integrated baseline controller, based upon the NASA Tiltwing aircraft, for use as the test vehicle for MODM methods Enhance the Purdue and MIT developed MODM algorithms demonstrated in Phase I to address increasingly complex mission environments and evaluation scenarios Verify and validate the suitability of the CERTIFICATE approach for MODM certification via an extensive simulation and analysis campaign in a complex mission environment Deliverables will include: Kickoff and final technical briefings to NASA personnel Quarterly progress reports and final technical report Beta version of the CERTIFICATE software Open-source tilt-wing model based upon the NASA tilt-wing model Two multi-objective decision making algorithms applied to a tilt-wing model

The CERTIFICATE toolbox directly supports the goals of the NASA Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Project. Here, CERTIFICATE directly supports the goal to “develop and validate tools, technologies and concepts to overcome key barriers for vertical lift vehicles.” Furthermore, CERTIFICATE will provide a means to support the NASA AAM National Campaign, which will provide “…vehicle manufacturers and operators, as well as prospective airspace service providers, insights into the evolving regulatory and operational environment.” A study by Frost & Sullivan sees the UAM marketplace “expanding with a compound annual growth rate of about 46% to more than 430,000 units in operation by 2040.” There is a need for the new methods in CERTIFICATE to support the design, analysis, and certification of these vehicles. STI has relationships with a number of these companies from which an emerging customer base will be established.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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