Aircraft-Wildlife Collision Mitigation: A Predictive Wildlife Hazard Forecast Tool for Enhanced Aviation Safety

The Wildlife Hazard Forecast Tool (WHFT) uses near real-time data collection and analytics to predict the occurrence and movement of critical species to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft. In its full development, the WHFT will map and communicate existing wildlife hazard levels and predict emergent hazards using machine learning and real-time wildlife hazard data. Phase I activities have outlined the preliminary Concept of Operations and initiated testing of the proof-of-concept to determine if it meets operator expectations. Phase II will further refine the concept and continue to ensure overall stakeholder approval with additional acceptance testing. Phase II activities will be organized using a systems engineering approach. This approach recognizes the iterative process of WHFT development with feedback loops between definition and integration stages. Each step of the WHFT progression informs the previous and next stage of development. The Phase II deliverable will be the WHFT prototype. The development and implementation of the WHFT will contribute to the modernization of current and future air mobility operations by enhancing the efficiency, safety, and scalability the National Airspace System (NAS) through provision of wildlife hazard separation information for AAM operations. The tool will contribute to NASA’s Sky for All vision through safety assurance of AAM aircraft, empowerment of operators, and conservation of airborne wildlife. The WHFT will provide economic benefits such as reduced accidents, optimized flight paths and better traffic management, and improved operational outcomes for potential customers that include AAM aircraft operators, Air Traffic Control authorities, federal, state, and local governments, and airport and vertiport operators.

NASA’s investments in autonomous flight date back to at least 2005 with publications regarding the Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP) in 2012 which identified the need to detect and avoid hazards strategically and tactically. The AOP was applied to the Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Request (TASAR) project which developed prototype software to optimize flight paths now being used commercially. Despite these advancements, the NAS has not yet achieved the Full Airborne Trajectory Management. NASA is therefore investing in conceptual models and architectures that will enable Dynamic Path Planning (DPP) automation and new digital technologies. The WHFT will contribute to the DPP Operating Environment Sensors & Services inputs and will enable hazard separation to avoid unsafe proximity to wildlife hazards. The WHFT will assist in the creation of flight paths that avoid wildlife hazards, will monitor changes in the operating environment, and will provide alerts which will prompt revisions to the flight path to avoid wildlife hazards. Although avoidance of obstacles is not specific to digital self-separation, the WHFT will provide automated information that can be used as part of operator self-separation from human crewed and uncrewed airspace users by providing components of the 4D digital model of the operating environment. As AAM markets increase in size, complexity, and automation, there will be a simultaneous increased need for operating environment information, including wildlife hazard levels, to safely navigate low altitude airspace. In 2024, the Supplemental Data Service Providers (SDSPs) market was limited due to the maturation of the AAM ecosystem; however, it is essential for the growth of the market that investments are made now to develop tools required for hazard separation. Service providers require time to develop and test solutions, so the technologies are available for the expanding market. The WHFT fits within the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management and Urban Air Mobility architectures and is placed within the commercial market as a potential SDSP. The provision of wildlife hazard separation information (i.e., dynamic obstacle information services) is not a theoretical concept in the architectures. There is an existing commercial model for hazard notifications (e.g., weather information) available to small Unmanned Aircraft System operators (UAS). The International Civil Aviation Organization states that UAS and UAM operators are responsible for conflict management. Whether the WHFT is provided directly to operators or is provided to them via UAS Service Suppliers or Provider of Services UAM, the WHFT will provide information for strategic wildlife hazard avoidance and information for in-flight aircraft-wildlife separation.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — 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.

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