The Viability of See-and-Avoid for Urban Air Mobility OperationsUrban Air Mobility (UAM) is an emerging aviation concept that could supplement today’s ground and air transportation systems. For UAM, it is generally assumed that the private sector will manage separation and not rely on the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control system. To date, discussions of initial operations focus on using the visual abilities of the pilot to “see and avoid” (SAA) other aircraft. Decades of research on SAA has demonstrated that it is inadequate for reliable detection of aircraft that might pose a collision risk. The literature on multi-object tracking is also reviewed for findings on how well humans can visually track objects. The research shows that humans have limited resources for tracking and that this may be affected by object characteristics and cognitive skills. The conclusion is that SAA is a risky method for avoiding midair collisions. It is recommended that flight deck displays and automated collision avoidance systems be implemented for all UAM aircraft at the outset of their introduction.
Document ID
20230014394
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Richard Mogford (Ames Research Center Mountain View, California, United States)
Walter Johnson (NORCAL Pacific Consultants Mountain View, California, United States)
Date Acquired
October 3, 2023
Publication Date
October 5, 2023
Subject Category
Air Transportation and Safety
Meeting Information
Meeting: FAA Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) Performance Assessment Team (TPAT) Meeting