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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

NASA Cirrus SR-22 Mimics UAV to test Collision Avoidance Systems

The article at the link below spotlights software tests being performed in NASA Langley's UAV-Surrogate aircraft, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered.  A few years back this type of work was a major focus out at NASA Dryden in California.  It is not clear whether they are also involved as the work has progressed.  What is also not clear is what hardware besides ADS-B is being used to inform the avoidance software.  The sense-and-avoid problem is hugely complex, and no one is likely to bet the farm on a single-string system that is wholly dependent upon ADS-B.  I wonder what else is in the eventual plan?  About a million years ago, I suggested to the FAA that airliners could potentially use sound to help them avoid general aviation aircraft.  They actually took it seriously enough to get back to me with a very solid analysis of the concept.  Acoustic sensors and signal extraction software are even better now.  Guess we'll see.

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2012/09/11/69138/

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