I-Corps: Software system that streams data from flight data recorders in aerial vehicles

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable the aviation businesses to capture and analyze flight data in real-time for increased efficiency and profits. Flight data recorders were first put into use in 1947. They have since evolved into valuable tools for monitoring all aspects of flight. Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates the recording of 88 parameters; Some operators are recording up to 2,000 additional parameters. Current solutions to the challenges of real-time data acquisition entail high satellite transmission costs and additional capital equipment requirements. Therefore, commercial airlines continue using post-flight data analysis, while many operators forego utilizing flight data altogether. The proposed technology intends to change this scenario by offering a software solution that can reside in equipment aboard an aircraft, transmitting data using low-cost transmission methods. The technology may encourage wider use of flight data and enable participation in Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs. If a disaster happens at sea or over difficult terrain, the proposed system could render expensive recovery operations obsolete since all flight data recorder data would be available in the cloud.This I-Corps project provides real-time data acquisition for ground-based monitoring of flights, allowing for engine data and pilot control inputs to be analyzed while an aircraft is in the air. Currently, most flight recorder data are only analyzed days or weeks after a flight, when the opportunity to address cost-saving efficiency and safety issues is long past. With the proposed technology, flight crews and maintenance teams would be able to make flight and safety adjustments based on streaming data in real time. In addition, the new technology would encourage data mining in the aviation industry to enhance aircraft performance, conserve resources, protect the environment, and improve safety. The system runs on an aircraft server and distributed main and data servers. The mode of transmission can be radio, cellular links, satellite, or via other, emerging technology such as high-altitude blimps. The amount and rate of data and the time window are highly predictable, thus resulting in efficient planning of resources.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.