Systems
The “ATM and On-Board Systems” unit develops enabling technologies in the fields of Avionics, Communications and Air Traffic Management (AMT). These technologies will improve the performance of next generation aeronautical and space platforms as well as ensuring the effectiveness, safety and environmental sustainability of commercial air transport.
Within the avionics research program, the unit develops new technologies and the related modeling and design tools to increase the level of autonomous management of aerospace missions. The goal is to increase reliability, flight safety and operational flexibility without increasing development costs and times.
The activation of autonomous payload functions (in order to minimize the transmission of huge volumes of data to the operator) and the design of user interfaces (to maximize the situational awareness of the operator) are particularly important within this research program. These functionalities are met through “what if” analytical techniques and data mining algorithms.
The Unit is active in perfecting techniques, algorithms and systems for image analysis and processing, data fusion (in order to use the information acquired directly aboard the aircraft) and therefore data reduction.
The Unit carries out the following applied research and prototype development activities:
- Effective video compression algorithms to reduce the data link and tracking load of objects observed on the ground as inputs for autonomous aircraft guidance systems;
- Automatic techniques to measure and extract characteristics from images and videos (image fusion, data fusion and co-recording with other sensors) in support of video-based control;
- Construction of prototypes of advanced systems for the autonomous management of manned and unmanned aerospace aircraft, with specific reference to Mission Management System, Flight Management Systems, Autopilot, Digital Communication Systems, Data Analysis and Reduction Systems for decision support in monitoring and surveillance missions;
- Production of digital demonstrators of innovative prototypes foreseen for the future commercial air traffic management system, with specific reference to pilot and controller decision support, weather/climate forecasting and innovative surveillance techniques (acoustic radar);
- Production on an experimental facility of national interest (ATM Airport Laboratory), to be used to validate, both operationally and technologically, the innovative functions of the future air traffic management system.
The ATM and On-board systems unit has contributed to the creation and development of spin-offs and start-up companies with high technology contents through the Italian CIBAPARK program and its international equivalent LIBAPARK .
