Future architectures for autonomous national airspace system control: Concept of operation and evaluation

摘要

We present a straw man architecture that could serve as the basis of a future National Airspace System where autonomous aircraft are controlled by autonomous controllers. Such an architecture is characterized by geofenced areas that have equipage constraints as well as aircraft volume constraints, where these geofenced areas are computed dynamically. Airspace structure is largely avoided, but instead is dynamically computed as the airspace loading changes. The dynamically computed structure is based on the airspace system's current state as well as its broadcast intention from all participants, with allowances for mishaps and other system failures. The safety margin of the dynamic structure is continuously computed to provide guidance to the control algorithms that regulate airspace loading. Details of this architecture are presented as well as its evaluation method.