SBIR-STTR Award

In this NASA Phase I SBIR effort, Aeris proposes to develop and demonstrate an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) capability that can enable route planning and scheduling of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)/Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles in scenarios with dynamically changing weather and operational conditions. Our solution involves the integration of 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, UTM characteristics and operational constraints. The proposed system uses a large eddy simulation (LES) model 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 UAM/AAM vehicles over all of the possible routes and flight plans. Graph analytics will then be utilized on this dataset to estimate the best combination of routes and corresponding departure and flight schedules for both the in-flight and departing UAM/AAM aircraft. This graph analysis calculation will also incorporate flight duration and/or path length, aircraft separation safety requirements, and aircraft arrival delay relative to the planned arrival time. The UAM/AAM UTM flight scheduling and route guidance products produced by this system will act to condition the UTM airspace to ensure safe aircraft separation, merging and sequencing of aircraft along the flight routes, metered arrivals at destination aerodromes, and efficiency through the identification of the shortest flights routes through the UTM system. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): 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 I SBIR will demonstrate a core capability make Urban Air Mobility (UAM) / and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) flight schedule and route guidance products that will undoubtedly be required to ensure safe an efficient Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) operations. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): The notional UTM architecture concept currently envisioned by the FAA is public-private information system between the FAA and a federated set of participants. A key element within this UTM 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 UTM system. Duration: 6

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. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): 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. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): 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. Duration: 24