Low Visibility Tests May Significantly
Increase
Air Safety
mproving airplane traffic safety in low visibility with reductions
in ground accidents, close calls and miscommunication looks promising following NASA's recent
tests and technology demonstrations in the eastern U.S.
Demonstrations of NASA and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft technology on the runways and taxiways of Hartsfield-Atlanta International concluded that reductions were possible by increasing situational awareness of pilots and controllers by using a combined ground and airborne system with computer generated graphics.
The overall system integrates many technologies including ground surveillance sensors and other equipment developed by the FAA onboard NASAs Boeing 757 research aircraft.
The research is part of NASA's seven-year Terminal Area Productivity program begun in 1994, and is led by NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. It is expected to substantially increase aviation system traffic capacity in all weather conditions.
Dubbed the Low Visibility Landing and Surface Operations program, the Atlanta effort's cockpit display system gives the pilot a "heads-up" display, which was developed at Ames.
As the research aircraft approaches the runway, computer-generated graphics outline the correct runway and its precise location on a glass visor mounted between the pilot and the cockpit windshield. Upon contact with the ground, the pilot's aircraft position and that of other aircraft are displayed on an electronic moving map of the airport on the instrument panel.
With Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite positioning and an airport layout database, the displays are updated in real-time. The glass visor, or head-up display, shows the edges of the runway and taxiway with a series of computer-generated "cones" in a virtual reality manner.
During taxiing, a turn is indicated by virtual cones and signs showing the angle and direction of the turn. As the pilot taxis, the virtual cones and signs move and change as if they were actual objects on the taxiway. The pilot's cleared route looks like a virtual highway on the ground.
Ground-based components consist of a surveillance system that provides traffic positions to the 757 via a computer datalink and a controller interface that allows air traffic controllers to transmit instructions to the aircraft by computer in parallel with normal voice communications. The controller also is automatically informed via this computer link if the 757 deviates from its approved path.
Other flight demonstrations have been held in Iowa, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts,
Colorado, Maryland and Virginia.
For more information, contact Dr. Robert McCann at
Ames Research Center.
Call (650) 604-0052,
Fax: (650) 604-3323,
E-mail: rsm@eos.arc.nasa.gov
Please mention you read about it in Innovation.
NASA researcher checks out research
pallet in NASA 757
research aircraft
before
sending to Atlanta Hartsfield
International Airport.
