Description: Trajectory-based operations (TBO) are at the forefront of the Next Generation Air Traffic Management System (NextGen). The vision of NextGen is one in which pilots will be responsible for following 4-dimensional (4D) trajectories while maintaining separation from other aircraft and weather. Ongoing research focuses heavily on the infrastructure and procedures required to conduct 4D TBO; however, new flight deck displays are going to be needed to support pilots who will be faced with the challenge of making more complex, strategic decisions than are required in current-day operations. In response to this challenge, Aptima proposes to develop a Trajectory-Based Operations Adaptive Information Display (TBO-AID). TBO-AID will incorporate innovative display techniques that address the (1) unique information needs associated with conducting 4D operations (e.g., crossing a specific navigation fix at a specific time); (2) uncertainty and risk associated with weather and mixed-equipage conditions, key challenges for conducting 4D TBO; (3) potential advantages gained through multimodal information presentation; and (4) need for model-based, situationally aware display adaptation to support information processing and decision making. Anticipated results of commercializing this effort include increasing the safety and efficiency of air traffic and expanding the maximum number of aircraft potentially in flight at a given time.

Benefits: TBO-AID will be targeted for use in NextGen-enabled commercial aircraft to support situation awareness of relevant hazards (e.g., traffic, weather) and airspace constraints (e.g., unequipped aircraft). The first groups external to NASA that would benefit from the underlying research on which TBO-AID will be developed are those that perform similar research and development tasks. This is a wide ranging set and includes manufacturers of any flight deck technologies relevant to airspace operations (e.g., Boeing, Honeywell, Avidyne) that could incorporate TBO-AID display concepts into their design efforts. The results from the TBO-AID display concepts could also be utilized in a number of domains dependent on advanced air traffic management, such as Air and Space Operations Centers (AOC) within the United States Air Force and Maritime Operations Centers (MOC) within the United States Navy.

TBO-AID addresses a relevant, high-priority issue 4D trajectory-based operations (TBO) that is key to increased capacity and efficiency under NextGen. Pilots are going to be required to make more complex, strategic decisions than are required today, necessitating the development of new interface concepts to support 4D operations, particularly with respect to weather events and mixed equipage constraints. Research and development conducted on this SBIR will contribute to the NASA Aviation Safety Program and Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Project by providing improved and novel visual, aural/speech, and multimodal interface capabilities (milestones IIFD.MM.1, I.IFD.MM.2, and IIFD.MM.3) to support 4D TBO. Furthermore, TBO-AID will support JPDO-identified operational improvements including trajectory-based management via precise 4D trajectories (OI-0358), delegated responsibility for separation (OI-0305), self-separation airspace operations (OI-0362), and improved safety of operational decision making (OI-3103).