CRII: CPS: Towards an Intelligent Low-Altitude UAS Traffic Management System

该项目的目标是为网络物理系统提供理论基础，以支持在其他有人/无人空中交通存在时增加自主性。目前，由于无人驾驶飞机系统（UAS）等日益自主的系统的快速发展及其不断扩大的存在，美国航空运输正面临着重大挑战。然而，关于支持在其他飞行器存在的情况下运行的无人飞机操作的网络物理系统的科学研究很少。本研究旨在探索未来低空空域交通协调与管理的新策略，以确保低空空域的安全与效率。这也将有助于催化相关领域的其他网络物理系统研究，包括航空基础设施、导航和监视设备以及无人驾驶飞行器技术。研究人员将与爱荷华州立大学推广和外展办公室合作，促进无人机在精准农业、航空安全和负责任的无人机使用方面的应用。该研究的理论方面将利用优化、人工智能和控制领域的跨学科方法。该项目设计算法，实现软件，并将低空无人机交通管理作为挑战应用领域进行概念验证。该项目建立了一个无人空中系统交通模拟平台，可用于验证新方法和工具，并实现与政府、工业和学术合作伙伴的合作。研究结果有望为研究民用航空日益增长的自主性的可行性、安全性、效率和潜在效益提供一个框架。

The objective of this project is to provide theoretical foundations for cyber-physical systems to support the increasing autonomy in the presence of other manned/unmanned air traffic. Currently the United States air transportation is facing significant challenges due to the rapid evolution of increasingly autonomous systems such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their expanding presence. However, there has been little scientific investigation on the cyber-physical systems that supports unmanned aircraft operations operating in the presence of other air vehicles. This research project explores novel strategies of coordinating and managing the UAS traffic to ensure low-altitude airspace safety and efficiency in near future. This will also help to catalyze additional cyber-physical systems research in related areas including aviation infrastructures, navigation and surveillance devices, and unmanned aerial vehicle technologies. The investigator will work with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Office to promote UAS applications in precision agriculture, aviation safety and responsible uses of UAS.The theoretical aspect of the research will leverage interdisciplinary methodologies in the fields of optimization, artificial intelligence, and control. The project designs algorithms, implements software and demonstrates proof-of-concept using low-altitude UAS traffic management as a challenge application area. This project establishes an unmanned air system traffic simulation platform, which can be used to validate new methods and tools, and enable collaborations with government, industrial and academic partners. The research outcomes are expected to provide a framework to investigate the feasibility, safety, efficiency and potential benefits of the increasing autonomy in civil aviation.